Dark Pasts, Hopeful Futures
by Thorned Rose
Summary: Consequences of actions must be faced and acknowledged in this extremely dark Rocketshippy sequel to A Diary Of Two Hearts. Six months apart can harden the gentlest of hearts, so how do they cope with the harrowing challenges they face?
1. 20th March, 2001

                                                Tuesday, March 20th 2001

      Engaging in conversation with other people had become so trivial that he rarely ever spoke to anybody when it was unnecessary, including when he was talking to even the regular customers. He inwardly sighed as he slipped a piece of hair behind his ear that refused to be tied back, and he didn't hear what his employer was saying to him as his mind was concentrating on what he considered to be more important matters. It had been six painful months since he had laid eyes on someone whom he had thought to be his fiancée, and six months since the death of his feline friend. James had thought of nothing but them for those lonely six months, and he had degraded himself to working in a pub that he had once stripped in with Jessie just to gain enough money to live off. He was still unable to talk properly, seeing that regardless of how hard he tried, it turned out to be as hoarse as if he hadn't tried at all. This was all thanks to the electronic contraption that had burned his larynx, and the only reason he had been able to get the job without an interview was that the employer, Elora, had a crush on him. He was still the only barman not to have slept with her, but it wasn't that he didn't find her attractive (he had initially been reluctant to abstain), but he hadn't slept with anyone since the mistake he had made whilst dating Jessie, and he felt as if to sleep with someone else even after all of this time would be like betraying her again. His physical appearance made him look far older than he was; his face had lost every child-like quality it had ever bore since losing his two best friends, he wore small black glasses to improve his vision after Mondo had hit him on the back of his head, and he was more gaunt than what he had been after the split. It was edging towards nine o' clock, and he was beginning to feel claustrophobic as the pub became more full. He despised crowds and feared turning his back on anyone in case they grabbed his neck from behind, and he was always wary of meeting anyone who knew about his previous employment, since Giovanni had wanted him dead once James had revealed that he was more powerful than he looked. He felt uneasy whenever he needed to serve a customer, merely because he hated the stares he occasionally received whenever the fading burn marks around his neck became visible. Even though he hated any feeling of tightness around his neck, he always wore his black shirt completely buttoned to conceal the hideous marks that reminded him of his old enemies. His own mother had shot one of them for reasons other than for his protection, and he hadn't seen the other attacker since Jessie had made it clear that she hated him. Even though he hated working with visible burn marks on his neck and fingers, it was all he could do to stop himself from cracking up; he worked as a chef in a nearby restaurant during the day for three days a week, and he worked in the Silver Bullet every night except Monday. His main objective was to occupy himself so he wouldn't have any time to feel any guiltier or more pathetic than he already was, and he wished that he could take back asking his best friend out, as their lives had been ruined in many ways thereafter. He was vaguely aware of his employer talking to him again, but yet again he was too deep in his thoughts to figure out what she had said. Another barman rapidly drew him out of his thoughts by pouring a tankard of something over his head, and something distracted James' attention and before he could ask the guilty youth what he was playing at; he saw a person enter the tavern that he hadn't expected to see. His eyes locked with the young woman's, and although she looked far different than she had done six months ago, there was no mistaking her.

      Her blue panic-stricken eyes were reflecting his shocked expression, and she was genuinely surprised that he had recognised her so easily. She took a couple of steps backwards and he hoarsely called out to his employer that he'd be back in a few minutes as he grabbed his jacket and ran after her. It was raining heavily outside and he easily caught up to her in front of the building, and she turned and glared at him venomously when he touched her shoulder. He retracted his hand from her fearfully and settled for quietly asking her if she'd talk to him about what had happened between them, except Jessie found that thought repugnant to her system. She kneed him in the crotch, and the staff members of The Silver Bullet were receiving great enjoyment out of seeing an argument unfold in front of them, even though they couldn't hear what was being said. He didn't flinch in the slightest as she did it but as an alternative he asked her if she really thought it would hurt him if he had survived his leg being imprisoned in a wild pokémon trap, and tears filled her eyes when she realised that she was trying to avoid someone whom she had spent most of her life with. She backed off from him again and shivered slightly as heavy raindrops dripped from the gutter down the back of her neck, and out of his usual politeness, James removed his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders in case she caught a chill. Her long, buttoned-over coat prevented her from being too cold, but at least his jacket protected the back of her neck from the elements, and she expressed her gratitude as civilly to him as she could. He asked her if she'd go somewhere so they could talk, and she snapped angrily that she didn't want to go anywhere near him in case he attacked her with something. He was genuinely hurt by this and said:

      "If that's what you truly believe, I honestly don't know how you gained any evidence to back your theory. Have I ever hurt you physically?"

      "Emotionally"

      "So how could I hurt you if we went somewhere to talk? It's been half a year Jessie, and don't you think it's time we at least talk about what happened if you want to continue ignoring me?"

      "There's no way I'm letting you into my flat"

      "Come to mine then; I'll let you keep the keys so I can't lock you in if that's what you're worried about. Come into the back of the pub, just please talk to me"

      "I don't trust you. You aren't the man I fell in love with"

      "Yes I am, I haven't touched anything in years, and I certainly haven't changed since the day I asked you to marry me"

      "You slept with someone else, who wanted me DEAD, yet you're no different. How intriguing"

      "Jessie, I told you how much I regret it. I honestly thought you had slept with him deliberately, and how was I supposed to know that she was the one behind the threats?"

      "You shouldn't have gone near her at all, if you cared about me that is"

      "Of course I care about you—do you know how hard it has been for me over the last six months? You left without hearing me out"

      "What do you mean I left? You were the one who discharged themselves early"

      "Actually Jessie, you were and the nurse told me that. I felt like I was going insane without you, and all…"

      "Shut up for a second, I didn't leave the hospital for three weeks to find out if the drugs in my system were lethal. You checked out in the first morning you were there"

      "I didn't Jessie, I needed to be drip-fed since my throat was out of commission. I couldn't survive if I had left. Why do you think I still have difficulty talking? Because my throat's still fucked up from the fight, that's why. We were probably told different information because you were the one who forbade me to see you in the first five minutes you were awake"

      "Whatever"

      "Will you please talk to me? You can pick the destination and time we'll be together, you can decide anything you want"

      "Fine. We'll go back to your place but I'm not staying the night"

      "I wasn't expecting you to"

      "I just want to eliminate any of your thoughts that makes you think that I'd want to sleep with you"

      "Please give me a minute to just tell my boss that I'm taking a night off. It'll only take a few seconds"

      He raced into the pub and told Elora that he was leaving his shift early, and she seemed far from pleased with the concept as it showed she had some proper opposition for his love. She reluctantly agreed to let him leave and he said he'd work on his night off to compensate for it, and another barman shouted out on his way out that he shouldn't stand in the rain to wash the tankard of rum out of his hair. James was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had completely forgotten that there was alcohol in his hair, and he glared mockingly at the youth who had said it as he left. He felt awkward as he walked alongside his ex-fiancée, mainly because she seemed afraid in his company, and although they were discussing unimportant matters, both of them knew that they'd be discussing topics that were in no way trivial once they were out of the miserable weather. As the door shut into his apartment, a pair of world-weary ice-blue eyes flew open across the town…

      James was nervous as he sat at the opposite end of the room to Jessie—it didn't seem right to distance himself from the only person whom he cared about, but he didn't want her worrying about his intentions if he was too close to her. He asked her if she'd like anything, and offered to leave her coat on a heater to dry it off a bit, and her sharp refusal made him rethink before he said anything else to her. The apartment he lived in was small but furnished, and he was lucky enough to have central heating in it. It was one of the very few luxuries he actually had in his life and in place of drying her coat for her, he passed her a warm towel whilst drying his hair off with another. She refused to make eye contact for a few minutes until she finally glanced at him and said sharply:

      "So talk, because I'm not willing to do anything else with you"

      "Jess, for the last time, I don't want to do anything to or with you that you wouldn't want. Don't you think it's time we tried to solve the argument that began months ago?"

      "The one regarding your dirty little habit that you failed to tell me about, or the one regarding your dirty little slut that you failed to tell me about"

      "She wasn't a dirty little slut—even though it's irrelevant, she was raped twice before I slept with her. I didn't know who she was regarding our threats, and that's the truth. As for my habit, I haven't touched anything in years"

      "How do you expect me to believe you when you never told me about it in the first place? I've spent all of my proper life with you James, and you never even considered telling me about it? You never told me you murdered someone"

      "I've contemplated telling you ever since I met you, but whenever I gathered enough courage to tell you, I lost it for fear of losing you. I didn't murder Carlotta, I didn't even know she was pregnant"

      "As if"

      "Jessie, I couldn't see she was pregnant—I don't even know how far gone she was. She had no bump, and I have regretted taking her to HIM ever since I learned about what he did to her. My conscience has done nothing but eat at me since I saw du Paor kill a guy that owed him money. After that, I was drawn into the world of narcotics and did whatever he asked in case I was dead by the time you graduated from that school. I'd smoked some hash with my aunt in the past, so it wasn't completely new to me, and it doesn't make it excusable in any way"

      "Are you trying to earn my sympathy?"

      "Nope, just telling you what my life was like"

      "Why? Why did you get involved at all? Why didn't you leave?"

      "I was fifteen, and had witnessed a murder. I was scared to run, as I didn't know what emissaries he had positioned around the city. If I'd have left, I may never have seen you again"

      James' voice was far harsher sounding than it had been when he had met Jessie, and he excused himself as he went to the kitchen to get a drink to line his throat with moisture. He asked Jessie if she wanted anything whilst he made himself a cocktail, she said that she'd have whatever he was having. He slipped some of his medication into one of them and he handed Jessie the other glass and he asked her if she wanted anything to eat. She declined and informed him that she wasn't intending on staying for very long, but he did notice that she said it without the curt tone that she had been using for most of the night. He detested the taste of his medication, but he knew it was necessary if he wanted to have any hope of regaining his voice completely, and he was eternally grateful that it wouldn't matter if he mixed alcohol with it or not, as it would be absorbed into his bloodstream the second it was in his mouth. He was still sitting at the opposite side of her in case she feared his proximity, and he noticed that she had warmed to him considerably since he had gone to make the cocktails. There were also noticeable changes regarding Jessie; even though her long coat covered up most of her body, he could tell that she had lost weight as well, and her usually long magenta hair was now shoulder-length, dyed the same colour that her mother's had been. Jessie had never told him anything about Miyamoto—it was only what he had learned from the Team Rocket files that he had realised what her mother's fate had been. Whereas he had hidden a large part of his past from Jessie for fear of scaring her, he didn't know anything much about hers because she hadn't felt ready to tell him, or so he believed. Her eyes seemed to have lost a sparkle that he had once loved, and he noticed that her actions seemed more carefree than they were when she had first sat with him; it was almost as though she was allowing herself to forget about her anger. Her fractional acceptance of his friendship was becoming visible, and by the end of the night, it was evident that she had forgiven him and his adult facial features were looking younger as he was laughing with the woman he loved for the first time in over half a year. The atmosphere changed when Jessie invited him to sit beside her, and she loosened the zip on her coat down by a few inches, and she showed him that she still wore the locket that he had given her as a token of his affection. He slid his fingers under the light metal and when he lifted it out of her clothes, he saw that she had her engagement ring on the chain too. He looked into her eyes and said that he genuinely thought he had annoyed her too much for her to still keep the items of jewellery, and she whispered that she wouldn't throw anything like those away seeing that they held so much sentimental value for her. He suddenly realised where his hand was, and he quickly retracted it to avoid her thinking that he was doing something with bad intentions, except his apology was never completed. She closed her mouth over his and pulled him closer to her person than he would have imagined, and he was earnestly surprised by her show of affection. She untied his hair and ran her fingers through it as their session became more intense, and she suddenly pulled back and with a perplexed (yet amused) grin, she said:

      "What the hell have you got in your hair?!"

      "You know how my hair looked wet when you came into _The Silver Bullet_ earlier?"

      "Yes…?"

      "I hadn't been outside—I wasn't paying any attention to the other members of staff, and they got revenge by pouring a drink over my head"

      "Would you not think of washing it?"  
      "I haven't had a chance to. I was going to do it after you'd gone since you've made it clear to me that you aren't staying for long" 

      "What if I said I want to?"

      "I'm not sure whether to believe you or not"

      "I want to James, there's still a lot we need to talk about"

      "Are you serious? I thought you said that under no circumstances would you stay longer than necessary"

      "I know, but I really miss you, and to have your company for so short a time and then just sacrifice it for nothing—I couldn't do it to you. Or to myself for that matter"

      "Just be warned, my bed is very small and uncomfortable. You're probably used to better things in life"

      "I don't care as long as it's with you"

      "I think it would be better for both of us if we slept in different living quarters for a while. I don't want you thinking that I have any intentions that aren't there"

      "Don't you find me attractive enough anymore?"  
      "Of course I do, and I have yet to find a woman near your beauty. It's not that I don't want to sleep with you—trust me, I do—it's just if we slept together on the first night of seeing each other in half a year. Well, you might decide that I forced you into it or something"

      "With an attitude like yours I'd be the one doing all the forcing. I understand your logic though, so we can wait another while. After six months apart, what difference will a few more pathetic days make?"

      "Thank you for seeing my point of view; I wasn't sure if it would make any sense to you. I haven't slept with anyone since—since"

      "Since you cheated on me"

      "Yeah. I know it sounds stupid, but the idea of another woman like that would be a total betrayal of your trust"

      "That's so sweet, but unfortunately I didn't take the same route completely. There were a couple of guys along the way, but none matched up to you. They left me feeling empty when I'd nearly married you"

      "It's your body, and I didn't expect you to keep the same bond. I think my guilt is what strengthened my chastity to that extent"

      "If we continue talking about the past, we'll end up fighting. Can we just make a fresh start?"

      "Sounds great to me Jess"

      "You do realise fresh starts include showers? If you're expecting me to run my fingers through your sticky hair again…"

      "Alright, I get the message! I'll go have a quick shower and then when I get out we can start again"

      It took James a full fifteen minutes to rid his hair of the offending alcohol and its sticky remnants, and to annoy him further, he realised that there were no clean towels left in there. He mentally groaned as he pulled his jeans over his wet skin, and he went over to his bedroom to get a couple more to dry himself with. Just before he opened the door, he realised that Jessie was nowhere to be seen around the small room he was in, and he knocked before he pressed down on the handle. Much to his relief, he heard her ask him if he needed anything, and he asked her if she could pass him out a towel. He coughed as his throat was gradually becoming dry again, and he went to the kitchen for another drink to moisten his throat. He heard the bedroom door open as he put his glass down again, so he returned to the door and he immediately noticed that she hadn't left the room. He knocked slightly on the ajar door before asking her if it was all right to enter, and when he received an affirmative answer, he pushed it open and wondered why she was acting like this. He quickly found out his answer though.

      The only light on in the room was the bedside lamp, and he automatically saw her without any difficulty; she was sitting on the bed with the towel in question wrapped around her (what seemed like otherwise naked) body. She nervously asked him to sit beside her, and he agreed with an eerie sense of reluctance that originated from his fear of not being able to trust himself. His fears were enhanced when she asked him to take it from her, and with powerful self-restraint he said no, and partially to his dismay, she repeated her request.

      "Take it James"

      "I--can't"

      "You can. Please just take it"

      "Have you got anything else on?"

      "No. But there's a reason"

      "I can't then. I promised you that I wouldn't treat you like that for tonight, and I'm standing by my word"

      "James, I'm begging you"

      "I really want to Jessie, but if I do, you know what we'll do"

      "I want to show you something, I'm not asking for sex"

      "Did someone hit you?"

      "No"  
      "What is it? Is there something wrong?"  
      "I really don't want to have to say it, so will you please take it? It may be awkward for you this way, but I really can't bring myself to say it"

      "Is it something another man did to you when you slept with him?"  
      "Yes and no"

      "You're not making any sense to me I'm afraid"

      "I didn't think I was. Please will you take it off?"

      "Are you sure you want me to?"

      "Y-yes"

      "Certain?"

      "Yes. I need to tell you, but I can't bring myself to say the words"

      "Do you need more time or anything? If it's awkward…"

      "No. It needs to be said now—you'll find out yourself in a while, and I don't want that. Please?"

      He initially looked away as he prised the material from her grasp, and it took her touch to tilt his head back towards her to face her body, and he understood what she had meant with her odd phrases minutes beforehand. He stretched his hand forward and ran his hand over her slightly raised stomach; even though she was almost as flat-stomached as he had known her all his life, there was no doubting that she was pregnant. He ignored every other part of her body as he looked at her abdomen, until he covered her up again and finally looked into her eyes and asked her how many months she had been like that. Tears welled up inside them and she held him for some comfort before choking out:

      "Six"

      "Do you know whose it is?"

      "Yes—I was told I was pregnant in the hospital when all of those tests were being run on me, and I needed to stay so long because it might have died from the drugs"

       "So is it mine?"

      "I only had unprotected sex with you, and there's only one time I could have conceived"

      "Was it…?"

      "I got something in return for losing my virginity"

      "So that's why you were afraid to tell me? Did you think I wouldn't be interested in raising a child?"

      " I was afraid. I'd been such a bitch to you, and then I'd go looking to you to be a father to a child you didn't even know about"

      "Jessie, I'd stand by you even if it wasn't my child. I couldn't turn my back on you, ever, even after you turning your back on me"

      "That's why I went into the pub tonight. I'd heard from a few people that you worked there, and I thought I'd find somewhere dark or something. I wanted to just see you without any fighting or anything, and I went into a defensive mode when you recognised me as quickly as you did"

      "How could I not? You're all I've thought about since what happened in the hospital. Did you see if Tyra was alright when you left?"

      "Are you still hung up on her?"

      "No, far from it. I just wanted to know if she was safe"

      "Why should you care?"

      "She helped us, and if it weren't for her, you'd be dead. You stopped breathing and she saved you. I could barely breathe from the electricity and she resurrected you, so to speak. If she hadn't been there…"

      "We wouldn't have been in the situation in the first place"  
      "That's not true. Didn't you notice that the only one to attack us was…?"

      "Chopper"

      "Yeah"

      "I never saw him again either. Good riddance to them both"

      "You won't see him again"

      "How do you know? You can't guarantee my safety from him. I've feared them all that time I was apart from you"  
      "It was needless fear, trust me"

      "Why are you so certain? Just because they wanted to split us up doesn't mean that they'll stop if we did"

      "Oh hell, you don't know"

      "Know what? Is he in prison or something?"

      "Um, not quite. But he'll never be free to hurt you again"

      "What? Now who's not making any sense?"

      "He's dead. I saw him die"

      "You didn't kill him, did you?"

      "Of course not, though I wanted nothing more than that at the time. It happened the first night we were in there"

      "He's DEAD?"

      "Yes. His employers were very angry that you were alive, regardless of the fact that you hated me. Also, she was displeased about something else, so she shot him"

      "Whom exactly are we talking about?"

      "If I were to say that Chopper had ruined a perfectly good designer carpet for nothing in his attempts to kill us, would you know then?"

      "No…it can't be…"

      "Yes, it was my parents. They were the ones to welcome us into their home, and they left so we couldn't see who was behind our three weeks of hell"

      "But why?"

      "Don't know. I was going to ask Tyra, since I wanted to tear her throat out less than I did Chopper, but due to my speech impediment, that was impossible. I felt dead to the world—I didn't have anyone to keep company with"

      "That's how I felt too, especially when I found out about Meowth"

      They both fell silent at the mention of their friend's name, and James suddenly stood up and walked over to his bag of meagre belongings. He tossed a couple of small, spherical objects in her direction and he explained that Karen {the housemaid} had been considerate enough to hand them into the hospital. He said that he had been taking care of them as he only had Victreebel and Growlithe left, and that he had released Pikachu and all of the other pokémon intended for Giovanni into the wild. As for the money, he had set it aside in a bank where he added to it with his wages seeing that he had no need for it; without someone to share money with, it was merely a material possession, not to mention he had always survived off a low supply of it. He noticed that she was still distraught over the situation, so he sat beside her again and kissed her hair as he held her close to his body. She found comfort in his actions, regardless of the fact that he was still wet from his shower, and he soothed her to the point of ending her crying. She felt tired as he continued to run his hand along her back, but she quickly drew herself out of her stupor by sitting back and asking him if he was angry at her for springing it on him. He rejected her question and he cautiously explained that although he didn't intend having children this early in his life, he knew that he'd love to raise someone with her. Although she didn't voice her second question, she wanted to know whether or not he would keep that attitude if another fight occurred between them. He kissed her on her lips and whispered that he needed to go to sleep soon to make sure he'd be up for his second job, which left disappointment visible on Jessie's face. It was palpable to him that she was nervous as she repeated her request for him to share a bed with her and she added that she wouldn't have sex with him, and he chose to comply this time as he still had a few questions to ask her about the last six months before he went asleep. She slid the towel off and handed it to him before warning him to forget any thoughts regarding touching her body when he was still as wet as he was. He allowed his eyes to roam over her body as he dried himself off before removing his jeans and switching off the bedside lamp. Since the bed was small, they had no choice but to hold each other tightly, and they both fell asleep with a new sense of hope within their hearts.

      PAIN. That was all that the owner of the blue eyes could feel as he came face to face with two people that wore matching cruel smiles. The older man was better known as Giovanni, head of the illegal organisation Team Rocket, and the younger woman was one of his more trustworthy employees, Cassidy. Her pale amethyst eyes were dancing with vindictiveness, and she tilted his head to face hers directly before hissing:

      "Welcome back to the world of the living"


	2. 21st March, 2001

                                                Wednesday, March 21st 2001

      It was strange for James to wake up beside someone when he had been living a chaste life since his nasty split with Jessie, and he couldn't help himself from looking at her asleep in his arms. His thoughts were vividly remembering the night before as he looked at her soft features, and he slowly brought his arm down from her back to her stomach; he was still in disbelief that he had impregnated her. He saw her move slightly in her sleep and he returned his hand to its original position in case his movement would wake her up. He couldn't focus on her face as much as he would have liked to in lieu of the fact he didn't have his glasses on, but her scent combined with the mere feel of her skin against his gave him more comfort than anyone would have expected. It showed that they were healing the savage wound that had torn them apart as friends as well as lovers, and that she was trusting him like she used to; it was one thing in particular that he had missed during the six month void. He glanced at the bedside table to read the digital clock, and he hazily saw that there was still quite some time before he needed to get dressed for work. He saw her move slightly again, so he tried to prevent her waking up by brushing a strand of purple hair away from her eyes (he was still getting used to her hair colour), and he finally noticed something that Jessie had done the night before in the dark; the locket around her neck rested on her skin in isolation, and he realised that she had returned the ring to her finger. He wasn't sure if it meant that she was making a point of returning to him, or if she still wanted to go through with the wedding, but either way it showed that she wanted to keep him company as his girlfriend. She stirred in her sleep again so he decided not to touch her again in case she woke up, and she only became fully awake fifteen or twenty minutes later. She didn't recognise her surroundings for a moment, but her panic subsided when she saw who was holding her, and she stretched before kissing him good morning. He sat up for a second and leaned over to get his glasses now that she was awake, and he discovered that his arms were tingling as life returned to them. He turned to face her again and ran his fingers along her abdomen as he declared his disbelief at his impending fatherhood. It was comforting to hear her laugh and he pulled her body towards him as he kissed her passionately, and it soon became far more heated than either of them had intended. He suddenly broke away from her and looked at her surprised expression beneath him as he apologised and announced that he couldn't sleep with her, but she locked him in his place with her legs before he could get off her, and she wanted an explanation. She looked genuinely hurt, and he quietly told her that he still had to get the results back from the hospital about the blood Deryck had injected into him after Meowth had cut the coil, and until he was given the all-clear he couldn't risk sleeping with her, especially now that she was pregnant. She understood his reasoning, but the idea of his refusal still hurt her and she found herself fighting back the tears as she released her legs. She hadn't returned to him for sex, but now that she found out that he wouldn't sleep with her, it made her upset for some unknown reason. He wiped the tears away from her eyes and he added that he had no protection with him anyway, and he joked that her hormones were already acting up. He ran his fingers along her cheek whilst carefully asking her if she'd meet him again later in the day since he really enjoyed her company, and they made arrangements whilst James began to get dressed.

      Elsewhere…

      She was there again as he opened his eyes, and the bright light hurt his already stinging eyes. For the first time he looked down at his manacled body; more of his skin was exposed than what he would feel comfortable with, especially since Cassidy and Giovanni had supposedly been keeping him under tight surveillance. He tried to turn his limbs from their restraints, but he was unable to do so due to both the drugs in his system and the fact that the twists of thick metal had cut off circulation in almost every cell of his body. She was rapidly writing notes as she assessed his status, and she could clearly see the anguish and humiliation in his eyes as she ran her cool hands along his exposed skin, and she gained pleasure out of his disgusted reactions. He tried to talk but he found that he was totally parched from whatever foreign substances were in his system, and he heard her vindictive laughter ringing in the room when she saw his lips quivering. His forearms were burning with pain and he wanted to beg her to loosen them; he wasn't even intending to escape, it was more so that he wanted to feel less like a ventriloquist's plaything and more like the person he should be. His annoyed thoughts were continually returning to the murderous scene six months beforehand, and to frequent queries about the fact that he had a pulse when he should be dead after the injuries he had sustained. He opened his eyes again (he had closed them to ease the stinging that had suddenly appeared), and he saw Cassidy leaning towards him with a full 10cm³ syringe of a clear liquid. He hated the look of sheer malice she gave him as she injected it into the vein above his heart, and the last thing he heard before surrendering to a false sleep was: 

      "Sleep well honey; the fun hasn't even begun yet"

                                                                                   **

      James was unable to concentrate as he diligently worked in a restaurant as a chef; Jessie's visit had created a lasting effect in his system even though it was relatively short compared to the time he had suffered away from her. He hadn't expected to see her again, let alone accept him back as a fiancé, and in spite of it being his sole desire for months on end, he was left wondering why she had wanted to sleep with him when she had tried to make it clear that he was the object of her hateful thoughts. He hoped that there was a different reason other than her needing a father for her child after trying to work it out with other men, and he inwardly knew that it wasn't her style. He had felt quite upset the night before when she had readily admitted that she had slept with other men when he had stayed 'faithful', and the only way he had kept his feelings successfully hidden from her when she had told him was by firmly reminding himself that she was fully entitled to do so after his brief liaison with Tyra. He knew that he was slipping into deep thoughts again, but he was drawn out of them by means other than a glass of rum tipped over his head; he caught the side of his hand against a heated steel pot and he cursed quietly to himself whilst running it under cold water. He felt a throbbing in his left wrist from the heat, and a waitress noticed that he had momentarily paused from his work as she approached him with another order for him to carry out. He sighed as he covered his burn up for hygienic reasons, and he took the scrap of paper from her to see what was required of him now.

                                                                                      **

      Even after all of these months, she detested entering the rather formidable Team Rocket Headquarters to meet a man that had taught her to become terrified of even sleeping in darkness. The only kindness he had ever expressed towards her was when she was given a week off work (unpaid) to grieve her partner's death, and that wasn't exactly heartfelt. She had been forced to wear a formal uniform since she no longer worked in the same job that her partner had accepted on her behalf as what could be described as an assassin, but she had always maintained the firm stand that no matter what she did, she refused to work with anybody else after the way Deryck had turned sour towards the end of his life. It felt eerie to wait in the very same room where James had been beaten up viciously months beforehand, and the irritating idea of turning back time to refuse food when they were starving seemed to echo around her head more now since she became intimate with James, at least then there was the chance she could talk to him without the fear of being murdered. She had seen him going to work many times when she was based in Viridian City, and she had wisely quenched the temptation of hearing his voice talking to her each time as she knew that if she did, the pain she would feel afterwards would be colossally worse than the cowardice she suffered from. Tyra pulled at the annoying length of the skirt she was obliged to wear—although it was knee-length it still felt as if she was the object of unwanted attention from the male thieves in the room, even though nobody was glancing remotely in her direction. She felt her knees fall weak as she stood up when her identity number was called out over the intercom, and she wondered whether or not she should submit her resignation; it was a thought that had crossed her mind ever time she needed to walk towards Giovanni's office and she always chickened out. She knew that death would greet her if the thought was put into action, and it was what she yearned for in lieu of the fact that she hadn't attempted to make a single friend in six months, and that was the only thing she felt she succeeded at. There weren't any shadows around Giovanni's desk this time, and it frightened her more this way as it showed the eyes she had hated since the first instance they had roamed over her mainly clothed body in her application for a job when she was seventeen. A lot had happened in the two years that had followed her first day as a Rocket. She involuntarily tugged at her skirt again, but this time she _knew_ that she was being stared at like a juicy piece of meat, and what terrified her was that it only a matter of time until he became hungry enough. She was ordered to sit down in a sharp voice, and she chose a seat practically behind her to avoid staying in the room longer than necessary. He began talking to her and she heard what her mission was whilst he signed a cheque for her last successful job. She walked back over to the large table once he had finished and she politely waited for the slip of paper to be handed to her so she could make an escape as quickly as possible. He held the cheque out to her, but he didn't let go as he handed it to her, mentioning that she had yet to hear two more pieces of information from him, and she heard an all-too familiar voice coming from the shadowed corner that she had been sitting near, and the three words he said sent a cold wave of nausea down her back.

      "Hello again, Tyra"


	3. 22nd March, 2001

                                                Thursday, March 22nd 2001

      James woke up to the comforting feel and warmth from the familiarity of the contours of Jessie's body against his own, and he felt as if his life was gradually repairing itself after the void he had drifted through for six months. He had invited her back to his room again the night before, and he was ecstatic when she accepted, although he declined offering her an invite to have sex with him as his principals remained unchanged, unlike his desires. He felt like she was fractionally using him, seeing that she wished to hide her pregnancy from him until she had nearly slept with him, and he could be in a rebound relationship if she had just broken up with someone else. Confusion seemed to be the main thought occupying his head, and nothing he tried to think of could make his thoughts lucid. Her attitude was different to how he used to know it, and although he was still infatuated with her he wasn't altogether certain if she was the same woman he fell in love with all of those years ago. She was still holding something back from him, what it was he couldn't determine just yet, but after knowing her for most of his life he could tell that she was suffering from a problem that was yet to be disclosed. What he didn't know, however, was that her problem would prove to affect him deeper than he could have ever imagined…

      She scrunched her eyes as she fought to avoid the inevitable action that was waking up, knowing instantly that when she did, she would be wrenched back into the harsh nightmare that was her life. A sudden noise caused her eyes to flash open, and it took Tyra's eyes a few moments to readjust to her surroundings before she was able to concentrate on the room around her. She tensed as she stood up to switch the main light off now that she was awake and fully alert, and she pulled on as much clothing that she felt covered her body sufficiently before concentrating on whereabouts the noise had originated. Her fingers twitched towards the location of her pistol beside the door to her room, but it wasn't a method of self-defence that she was most eager at using due to unpleasant experiences in the past, and in her indecision she heard the noise again; it was a violent knock on the door. She took the weapon in her possession and slid it up her sleeve before cautiously asking who stood at the door. She heard a voice that was familiar and it was as if rods of steel were inserted into her body as none of her limbs moved when she had successfully identified its owner. Not even her eyes made any motion as memories of what had happened in the office in the day before suddenly swarmed into her head.

      _She knew the instant that she heard those three words that she was a performer in one of Giovanni's latest tricks that usually pleased only him, and she became taut as she frantically wondered why she had been made sit beside a man who had taken what he had wanted from her without pity. She ignored the maddening nausea that took control over her indigestion system when she heard her supposed employer talking, as she wanted clear thoughts when he explained his reason for deliberately making her sit almost beside Butch. Her skin convulsed and she felt positive that it was trying to free itself from the torture that he had made her endure months beforehand. In spite of being told a mission already, Giovanni continued to talk about an experiment going on in the laboratory that concerned people familiar to each of them. Cassidy was the one performing the tests and analysing the results, whilst Tyra was well acquainted with the 'subject' that had supposedly been resurrected. In truth, the subject had been in a deep state of comatose and Cassidy had successfully deduced a method that would be able to save him from a state of being permanently inanimate. Tyra felt colder than ever before as she knew the dangers that her ex-partner's life brought with it, and since it had taken her long enough to accept his death and finally close the door to her depressing past, she felt as if a draught had just caused the door to swing open and smack her in her back without warning. She tugged at the material of her outfit again as she involuntarily listened to her appointment to visit the subject the following morning, and she knew at once that she should be cautious—things like this don't just occur in a natural lifetime, and when Team Rocket was involved, she should definitely be on her guard._

      She cursed her own stupidity at not hearing her alarm clock as she finished getting dressed, having told Butch that he'd have to wait until she was fully ready before she went anywhere near him, and so he waited outside the door. She wasn't emotionally capable of seeing someone she had thoroughly believed to be deceased, and the fact that she was going into a laboratory where inhumane experiments were conducted on pokémon and traitors alike wasn't her idea of pleasure. Added to that was the dark fact that she was visiting a corpse (as far as she was concerned) with a rapist, and she couldn't think of a single factor that made her actually want to proceed with her appointment. The only reason she would was so she'd stay on decent terms with her employer; she wasn't afraid of dying, in fact she often yearned for it, but he knew grislier and more sadistic punishments that would hurt her far greater than stopping her heartbeat, as she had experienced in the past. She ensured that most of her body was concealed from sight before checking her pistol remained unseen and she finally opened the door to greet her fate.

      A noise also caused James to leave the comforting occupation of admiring his sleeping girlfriend, but his surprise was far more pleasant than that which awoke his former lover. The noise was that shrill incessant beeping of the alarm clock to alert him that he had half an hour left before he was due to commence his shift, but on the positive side, it would be the last time he'd work in the restaurant this week. As he fumbled around for the button on the digital clock to cease the irritating siren, Jessie was forcefully snapped out of her dreams. Despite feeling serene as she tried to figure out where she was, she couldn't recall what the content of the reveries had been. She sat up a bit and coiled her arms around her lover's hips as he stretched across the table and put his glasses on. She rubbed herself against his bare back and whispered:

      "Do you know how strange it is for me to see you looking like that?"

      "Good morning to you too"

      "Sorry, I didn't mean it in a harsh way. It's just it makes you look so…different"

      "It probably has the same effect on you that your hair has on me. Don't get me wrong, I think it looks great, it's just that it's hard to adjust to physical appearances when they're different to how they were when we grew up together"

      "I guess you're right. Here, you deserve a kiss good morning"

      "Thanks, I'll try be right more often"

      He turned around to face her properly to assist him in giving her a kiss as passionate as he could deliver at that hour of the morning, and she found no flaw with his attempt. She ran her fingers tenderly along his back until she reached the back of his neck and he jolted away from her like she was contaminated with leprosy or something, and he mumbled an apology as his face became more flushed than he had hoped. She caught her first proper sight of the burns on his neck as the morning light hit against it, and she suddenly realised he must relive the horrific action of near-strangulation through electrocution every time something touched against it. She apologised to him and although he told her that it was completely unnecessary, she noted that he refused to meet her eyes with his own as he left the small and uncomfortable bed in search of his chef's outfit. She cursed to herself as she realised how thoughtless her action might seem to him and felt determined to show that she loved him, regardless of anything that may have happened between them since the hurtful split. James, on the other hand, felt like he was idiotic for jolting away from her as it made him look like he didn't trust her proximity.

      Tyra gritted her teeth as she waited at the reception in Team Rocket Headquarters as the secretary on duty sedated a member of the organisation for unruly behaviour, and she wished an ill hex on the young blonde for delaying her, as every second cracked her hard exterior. When guards escorted the light-headed member away from the desk, the woman accepted their identification cards and tapped a few codes into the computer in front of her. Tyra glanced at the nametag pinned to her overalls and read Lindsey, and recognition of the woman finally occurred in Tyra's mind; she had been one of the few Elite members, who had joined her in her miniature revolution years back against the disposal of an enthusiastic but unsuccessful agent. It now seemed that she had been reduced to the lacklustre job of secretarial duties, and before she could reach any more logical conclusions, Lindsey handed the cards back to the two agents, smiled warmly and said with a hollow look in her eyes:

      "Please allow a guard to escort you to the laboratory. I'm quite sure we don't want Giovanni to be given an excuse to dismiss workers for poor security measures"

      "I understand completely miss"

      "Would you kindly follow that gentleman down the corridor at once please?"

      "No problem. Good day to you miss"  
      Even though it may not have been much, her display of manners to what others would describe as a disgraced secretary, it made the blonde feel less empty after experiencing being treated like a human again. Tyra glanced back once more before gulping and pacing down the gloomy steps that led to the experiment units, and shivered when the guard, a mere youth of seventeen or so named Anthony, stopped and allowed them through the iron door whilst the portcullis was raised. The latter may seem like a medieval method of protection, but when the mechanism was triggered, it crashed down _on top of_ the fleeing person, and the idea of it was that they'd forget this in the heat of the escape and they would never see the sharp wrought iron spikes that killed them. So far, there had been no cases of rebels surviving beyond the door…

      James agitatedly ran his hand over his tied-back hair as the orders continued to sprout profusely in the restaurant, and it _would_ have to be the day he wanted an easy day to reflect on how he had acted towards his fiancée that morning. Whereas he had been contemplating whether or not she felt like betrothing him after what had happened between them, he had asked her the night before as they had been falling asleep and he was overjoyed to learn that she still held a desire to continue with the engagement. He knew that he'd probably hurt Jessie's feelings in his stupid moment of distrust, and if he could be given a few minutes of peace for him to think, he'd decide on a way to show her that he was sincerely sorry, and how he could make it up to her. Instead, he mentally hissed as another piece of paper was handed to him with yet another order, and he was grateful to have worked in more irritating jobs than this, otherwise he'd have snapped and been down one source of income. He was also grateful of the fact he'd hoarded money from his jobs instead of blowing it on something pathetic like alcohol, as it would prove to be more than a little helpful for looking after his child. He gathered the serenity he desired a couple of hours later when the restaurant finally calmed down, and he was granted his lunch break then seeing the place was dead. Before even considering eating anything, he entered a nearby florist and purchased a small bouquet of Jessie's favourite flowers to try and show he was apologetic, but he felt a pang of covetousness as he saw her across the street with another man. He couldn't hear what they were saying and he didn't know that by the manner of conversation there was no way he should be envious, but he felt both dismayed and outraged when the man kissed her on the cheek. James turned his back and headed for his apartment for both food and somewhere where he could take shelter without being seen by anyone else. What he didn't see, however, was the sharp white imprints the stranger's rough grip had left on Jessie's face, nor did he see the tears welling up in her sapphire eyes as she glared after the man.

      Tyra shivered copiously as her footsteps echoed around the cold stone laboratory, and she noticed that she seemed to be the only one uncomfortable in her surroundings, a fact that left her feeling more than fractionally disturbed. Screams tore through the atmosphere every few seconds, both human and not, and she wanted to stop dead in her tracks when a blinding flash of light was emitted from a cell, so powerful that it caused the lighting to become even more dim than it was. The metal of her weapon was causing her frighteningly cold skin to become numb, and if she didn't feel it so necessary for her defence, she would have discarded it quite a while ago. The passages narrowed periodically and she wanted to cry when this happened as Butch walked closer to her, and the feeling of his breath on her neck made her want to retch. The torturing/experimenting cell they were commanded to attend was the furthest from the entrance, as it was the segregation unit. It was generally reserved for those that would be dangerous to Team Rocket's career if the subject escaped, or if it was proving itself to be a quiet one that would eventually break if it wasn't able to communicate with other life forms. In this case it was neither; Giovanni didn't want anybody bar the Elite scientists to know about this in case the serum that dissolved the comatose state made it into the hands of legal scientists. The last thing he wanted was his mother released from her decade-long coma—he'd finally created an image for himself that was well respected and feared, and the last thing he wanted was for **_her_ **to come and destroy that now. When they were finally at the cell in question, they were searched (badly, as Tyra's gun wasn't confiscated) and allowed access. Despite what she had been told, Tyra's world fell beneath her feet when she saw the helpless subject tied down on the table and she felt absolute horror when she saw bruises where countless needles had been inserted into his skin. She ran her hand along his forehead and got no response other than a glare from him.

      "He's drugged to the eyeballs. He can't talk"

      Tyra spun around and attempted to scream at Cassidy, demanding why she had subjected him to this treatment, but all that escaped her mouth was a weak croak. The blonde scientist wasn't sadistic or cruel towards the frantic young woman, and she added in a sympathetic tone:

      "Giovanni didn't want him to tell you anything so I was supposed to knock him out. I left him like this so you could at least see he was alive. I don't enjoy my job; exact your revenge for this elsewhere. I'd much rather be doing fieldwork, as I assume you would, but this way I can make sure stupid mistakes aren't made, and that lives aren't necessarily lost. I believe that Mondo's death six months ago was tragic enough, as well as the loss of members such as this, to act as a reason to prevent any more needless deaths don't you?"

      Tyra bit her trembling lip and nodded slowly as she remembered the person she had shot to save James' life, and how he had only shown compassion to her for a moment when she had resuscitated his fiancée. A few moments later, Giovanni entered the laboratory with a brisk walk, indicating that he wanted everything explained and asked as quickly as possible. Tyra could see her breath in front of her as she continued to shiver involuntarily, whilst everyone else seemed horrifically casual as an in-depth analysis on the experiment was provided for them. To make matters even worse, she was informed that she would be involved in a new mission involving her fallen friend, and that she would have to ensure it was successful if she valued her life. She wanted to spit back that her life was absolutely worthless to her, and that they were wasting their time even giving her the instructions, but she was more intelligent than to offer her life towards a career in being tortured eternally. Giovanni seemed to sense her discomfort and walked over to her and hissed at her to grow up, before pulling her body next to his own and extracting her gun and pointing it at her temple.

      "Did you really think that you could partake in a search without my experts detecting this, you stupid bitch?"

      "Screw you"

      "Is that an offer you're making? Or is it a way of begging me to send Butch after you again? If it is, he's over there so ask him yourself"

      "Of course it isn't, let go of me"

      "What's the matter, you cheap slut?"  
      "I'm not a slut, you are you lecherous old fiend"

      Giovanni backhanded her sharply and she spat the blood out of her mouth on his suit, earning her a sharp uppercut that caused her to fall backwards onto the concrete ground. She saw the gun being aimed at her again and she bolted out of the laboratory and back towards the entrance of the underground section with bullets flying at her heels. She ran through all the clear laser points that triggered the evil portcullis within six seconds, indicating it was an escaping rebel, and the metal gate read the speed she travelled at to know when to drop, and now it was prepared to lower on her within seconds. She had, like many that suffered her fate in the past, totally forgotten about it, and just as she was about to sprint under the trap, somebody grabbed her and held her against their own body as the gate crashed down completely. Tyra shook in shock as she realised that her life was nearly stolen from her, and she looked below at the person who had let her survive, and she released a gasp of both shock and horror when she learned their identity. Her instinct took over as the voices of her pursuers were closer than comfort allowed, and her helper lifted the bars for her to escape through whilst the thick iron door behind it was still open. She thanked her saviour as she raced out of the wretched building, and she couldn't believe her eyes; after seeing that person, it seemed like they wished to betray her…

      James felt thoroughly exhausted as he finished the last hour of his quota for work in the restaurant for that week as it had been challenging in more than one sense of the word, and he had longed to give up since early on in the day, particularly since seeing his fiancée with another man. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes as angry thoughts flooded through his disquieted mind, and he couldn't wait for Jessie to show up so he could have it out with her. The last time he had been this jealous of her was when he had slept with Tyra due to misguided information, and he knew it would be best for him to stay inside the apartment in case he did something that he would regret to an equal extent. He suddenly felt unbearably drowsy, so he decided to sleep off his bad temper, and he adjusted the time on his alarm clock for half eight, just before he'd need to get ready for his night shift. Sleep grasped him in its arms easily, but he wasn't granted an easy rest; he was cursed with vision after vision of Jessie being unfaithful, and then he jolted awake after a final, haunting image. Jessie gave birth to their child, which distorted itself until it resembled a demonic creature that tore its mother to shreds and drank her blood the instant it breathed for itself. He'd tried to stop it from happening, but in her dying state he saw that she was no longer Jessie, but Carlotta, who hissed out:

      "You couldn't let me live happily, could you? Look at the baby you caused, and look at it kill me"

      James was shaking robustly on the bed from fear, and he was usually never affected from dreams regardless of how vivid they appeared. Since learning that he'd inadvertently caused Carlotta's miscarriage and death, he'd suffered inwardly for his stupid adolescent mistakes, and this image showed him his fear, in a horrific and disturbing manner. At least he knew that she had died from blood poisoning and not demonic utilization, but the nightmare was still having an adverse effect on him. He began to feel increasingly nauseous, owing to a sharp taste of blood in his mouth, which was undoubtedly present from him biting his cheek in the fretting moment in his dream. He ran his hand along the back of his neck and found a thick band of sweat and decided that a shower might not only freshen him up, but it might also calm his nerves. He glanced at the clock and saw it was twenty-five to eight, which left him with more than ample time to have a shower and get ready. As he left the bedroom, he began wondering where Jesse was even though he had wanted to fight with her; she had agreed to meet him after his first job, seeing they didn't have much time to spend together around his working schedule. He saw the flowers that he had bought for her during his lunch break, and now he was completely perplexed why she hadn't gone to his apartment in the duration of the time he'd been there. He would have gone to her apartment, but she hadn't told him its address or any hint regarding its location, so the only option open to him was to wait.

      Typically, he heard a knock on the door when he stepped out of the shower and he called out that he'd be there in a minute as he hurriedly pulled on his uniform. He was closing the top few buttons on his black shirt as he opened the door, and his fiancée asked him if she was disturbing something, and he replied with a smirk that if she waited a few minutes he'd get rid of his whore and he'd be completely devoted to her. She met his glance and whispered 'nice try' before pushing him forward and kissing him passionately as she kicked the door shut behind them. He decided not to bring the strange man into the conversation just yet as their teenage hormones returned to them in full power for the first true time since they'd been reunited. They lay in each other's arms on the same couch they'd had a first kiss the other night whilst they acted like they would have done months ago. Jessie caught sight of the flowers as he kissed her neck zealously, and she slyly asked if he did have a whore there to have given him that, but he jokingly said that he'd found it outside the door, addressed to her from one of her admirers. It was only when his uniform was pretty much non-existent that James pulled back and apologised for not being able to have sex with her, and she saw the genuine sorrow in his face. She was grateful to see that he cared enough for both her and the unborn child that he'd forsake a few minute's pleasure if it meant that there was no risk involved. She was far from grateful, however, that she also had to forsake a few minute's pleasure, and it was hard for her to tell her sky-high sex drive that. It was one of the advantages to being pregnant, but even six months on Deryck was able to ruin their lives by stopping an affianced couple from consummating their passion, all because he had injected his blood into James. She ran her fingers along his abdomen as he put his shirt back on, and he apologised again before heading into the kitchen area to take some more medication as his throat was burning with pain again. He asked her if she wanted anything to eat or drink, and she declined, revealing that the reason she was so late getting there was because she had stopped for something to eat along the way. She met his lips as he sat down beside her again, and they remained like that until the annoying ringing of the alarm clock filled the air. They groaned as it spoiled the moment they had been sharing, and as James got up to turn it off, Jessie followed him into the bedroom. She pushed him back onto the small bed and straddled his stomach whilst removing his glasses to try and see if he looked anything like what she was used to, even though she thought that the glasses made him even more attractive to her. She put them back without saying anything and leaned down on top of him as she did so. He leaned upwards to kiss her but to tease him she twisted so they swapped positions and pulled backwards to ask him what he wanted.

      "You know what I want"

      "Tell me"

      "You"

      "Why don't you have me then?"

      "I can't, and I think you know why not"

      "Tell me"

      "Come on, you know why I won't do it, even though it's what I want more than ever in this position"

      "I'm still clothed"

      "A factor I've wished weren't there…"

      "What did you say?"

      "Attractive fish don't swear?"

      "Nice cover, but that's not what you said"

      "Okay so I wish you weren't dressed, happy? I also wished I didn't need to go to work in ten minutes"

      "You can get a lot of things done in ten minutes. Want to try?"

      "Jessie, it's cruel the way you're acting the temptress when I have to restrain myself. I can't have sex with you when I might have AIDS, and certainly not when we haven't any protection with us"

      "Change that. You work in a tavern don't you? You can buy some when you get a few minutes free"

      "Now what would that look like? I'm still not sure if it would be intelligent to risk you catching something"

      "You'd do it if you love me"

      "It's because I love you that I won't. If I didn't care about you, I'd sleep with you in an instant, but I love you too much to risk it"

      "Fine, but it's not fair to my hormones!"

      "Nor to mine, but think what it could be like for them if we ever sleep together again"

      "If?"  
      "Haven't you thought about what the situation will be like if I do have HIV or AIDS? There's no way I'd risk you or my child like that for sex"

      "Hang on, you'll go through life after only having sex a few times, and you'll live it married to me when the last person you'd have ever slept with tried to kill me?"

      "Don't say it like that, you know it's hard for me to refuse you. Regardless of what you think, I'm still a teenage male in love with a sexy young woman, and it's tough to say no"

      "I guess so. Get ready for work"

      "Don't be like that"

      "You'll be late if you don't"

      "I don't want to part on bad terms, you know I love you"

      "Yeah, but my hormones are all over the place and I can't help feeling hurt when you reject me like this"

      "I'm not rejecting you Jessie, I'm thinking of the safety of our child. You're not jealous of it are you?"

      "My child is not an 'it'"

      "I didn't mean that, it's just that I don't know its gender"

      "Leave off the word 'it', will you?"

      "Jessie I'm sorry, it's…"

      "Fuck off James"

      "I'm not doing it delib--"

      "Very funny. I'll see you later"

      "Jessie, I do love you, and I didn't do that on purpose, and I don't think that our child is sexless--"

      "Yeah, that's you"

      "Why are you doing this?"

      "Just fucking get to work and leave me alone, okay?"

      She kicked him off her and he landed painfully on his back, and he didn't look back at her as he grabbed his jacket and two sachets of medication to leave for work in an environment unfriendly towards his throat. Before angrily slamming the door he growled back towards the bedroom:  
      "If you want sex, fuck the guy you were with today. Maybe he'll actually want to touch you"

      He regretted doing it the instant the door vibrated against its frame from the force it had been shut with, but he couldn't delay any more than he had, otherwise he'd be drastically late for work, and he'd have more than just one woman pissed off at him. Despite the fact that he left no later than he usually did, he was still a bit late for work by the time he reached The Silver Bullet, but much to his relief nobody seemed to notice, and there was a pleasant contrast between the restaurant and the tavern: unusually there were only a handful of drinkers in at the moment. He exchanged greetings with the manager, Elora, and the only other member of staff that was on duty with him, Matt. There had been something vaguely familiar about the youth when James had applied for the job, but he could never quite place it, although he felt that he'd been involved with something sinister. He'd never pressed for details in case he only resembled someone he'd seen, but he had a nasty feeling that their paths had crossed in the past. As the night drew on, more and more customers filed into the pub and the mood seemed considerably lighter than James felt after the way he'd walked out on Jessie. He'd only just seen her after a six-month gap, and he'd just acted in a way that ran the risk of him never seeing her again over a stupid argument. Elora noticed he was quieter than his usual self and took him into the back when there was less of a demand for their service, and she told Matt to call them if things became hectic again. She asked him if he was all right and he confided in her about his situation, hoping that he'd get a fair point of view on it since his employer was female. But then again, it mightn't be altogether fair since she wanted him to be hers, and he'd known that since the time he'd applied for the job, but it was a chance he'd have to take. She didn't seem particularly biased in either direction, but she recommended that he rang her to apologise, and then make it up to her that night by doing something he knew she'd appreciate. He groaned as he explained that he lived in a cheap flat, so he couldn't afford a phone line as well, therefore ringing her wasn't an option. There was also no guarantee that she'd still be waiting for him at the apartment, and he was frantic that he'd never see her again, and that included never seeing his child. She held him against her body as a mark of comfort, and as he continued with reasons why he was afraid to have lost her for good, Matt came in and said that a woman was asking for James at the bar, which made his spirits shoot higher into the air than they'd been at any point since leaving Jessie. Unfortunately, they were destined to sink upon seeing sight of who it was, as they were far from the woman of his dreams.

      Tyra's eyes darted around the room anxiously as she waited for James to see her, and she was near to tears already as she didn't know how bitter his attitude would be towards her, and it wouldn't take much for him to hurt her in this state. She froze as she saw him, and his look of sheer rage when he saw her frightened her, so much in fact that she didn't say anything for the first few moments. His eyes narrowed and he delivered an icy glare before hissing out an order for her to get out of his sight, which rewarded him with a command to be nicer to the customers from Elora. He refused to serve the customer and told this to Elora repeatedly, who tried to keep out of the personal conflict by telling Matt to serve her, and out of sheer frustration, Tyra revealed to James where he knew the barman from, and that he'd rather listen to a man who'd raped his ex-fiancée, as well as helping other men to rape her. James' blood began to boil as he realised that he knew Matt from the footage of Jessibelle being gang-raped, and he struck his fist outwards, succeeding in dislocating his shoulder without any difficulty, and if Elora hadn't stood between them, he'd have quite easily beaten the youth to death with that knowledge. Tyra retreated back a few steps as she realised that she could be next in his anger, but greatly to her astonishment, he told her to wait in the back of the bar until he was ready to see her, and after getting a warning not to hurt her, Elora allowed him to go to talk to her. As he left for the back, there was a groan in the customers, as they'd found the argument between the barmen quite interesting.

      James checked the lock on the door was secure before turning and glaring at Tyra, until it seemed like he was trying to physically disfigure her through that method. She was backed against the far wall with a look of terror in her eyes, knowing that he wanted to exact revenge on her, and the pique in his face made her upset at the thought of what her ex-partner had made her lose. He didn't say anything as he unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt until he was right in front of her, then he held his hands up in front of her eyes to show her his burns, and he growled out:

      "Look what you did to me you worthless bitch. Can you hear the strain in my voice, or are you deaf too?"

      "I d-d-didn't do that"

      "Maybe not, but you were in on the plan. You knew it was going to happen the night I screwed you. Though now, it seems like I must've been high to consider degrading myself that much"

      "You don't mean that"

      "Don't I? You're right, I don't. I haven't had anything to make me high in years, so I was just stupid. Pity I wasn't even drunk to take away the memories"

      "James, I know you hate me, but do you really wish that you'd been drunk? After what we had?"

      "It's what we had, not what we have. I should have never gone near you that night. You knew Jessie was being raped every second I spent with you, how can you live with a conscience like that? And then you whined to me that someone had raped you, and that when you recovered you got raped again. Am I meant to care about anything you have to say now?"

      "It's important, and about six months ago…"

      "Shit, you're not pregnant too are you?"

      "That's not what I want to talk about"

      "You are, aren't you?"

      "Perhaps"

      "Great, just absolutely fucking great"

      "James, you're hurting me"

      In the heat of the moment, James had pinned her against the wall, even though she wasn't capable of moving due to her fear, and since asking her what she wanted, his grip had become agonizingly painful for her. He eased his grip on her, but didn't let go in case she moved too quickly and escaped before he'd had it out with her. Panic was running through his head, as he knew that he shouldn't hurt her, yet he didn't know how to react to this news. He had new responsibilities, and he knew that he'd need to look after her child as much as he did Jessie's, even though the thought of that made his blood run cold, and he didn't know how to continue as it involved his treating her like a human. As cruel as it may sound, he sincerely hoped that she was lying, and if he had any chance of Jessie accepting him back, this would certainly assist her in deciding against it. Despite how he was acting, he didn't want to put anybody's life at risk, but he couldn't afford to release this fact just yet. He stepped away from her and let go of her as he could tell that she was in genuine pain from the look in her eyes, yet he felt stupid for exposing his unprotected back to her.

      "It's not what I want to talk about"

      "The hell it's not"

      "James, why do you think I'm risking my life for you? It's about Giovanni"

      "What's he got to do with it?"

      "He's alive, and Giovanni's got him in the lab, and he's doing tests, and he's a killer by the looks of it and…"

      "Slow down Tyra, tell me what's happening bit by bit"

      She tried to start her story, but she broke down as she mentioned what she'd seen in the laboratory, and she slumped herself onto the ground to cry acrimoniously into her knees. James felt guilty at how he was making her feel, but in spite of trying to reassure himself that she deserved what she got and worse, he still wished that she wasn't crying because of him. He couldn't ignore his natural instinct any longer, so whilst overlooking his dark mood, he went over to her and helped her up before offering the comfort of his embrace. He hated himself for acting so friendly towards his sole surviving attacker, but he couldn't heartlessly let an old friend act so traumatised in front of him; that would be far too pitiless for his disposition. She felt more pathetic than ever as she was held in his arms, knowing that she loved him, whilst he was merely acting charitable to a weak, useless creature such as herself. She became more soothed as she heard his steady heartbeat from resting her head on his partially exposed torso, so she released as much of the information she could without choking on more sobs, but for some reason she excluded her escape from the building; perhaps it was due to the overwhelming fatigue that entered her system. James couldn't believe what he was hearing, although he knew that there was a high amount of factual information in it, after all, Tyra was a good actress but she wasn't this convincing. If he'd paid full attention to her the night he played away with her, he probably have worked out she had been one of the people that had caused her so much misery. She mournfully muttered that she'd raise the child away from him so he could lead the life he'd made for himself, and his heart was torn between right and wrong when he heard this. Without full knowledge of what he was doing whilst running his fingers through her long hair, he snapped her head upwards and kissed her in a passionate yet gentle manner, and she was too stunned to react immediately. He pulled back from her and whispered that he'd take care of her before pulling her into his arms again, and for some reason the questions racing through his head stopped dead in their tracks and disappeared, even though he knew he was wrong if he was so certain he loved Jessie. He made arrangements for her to come back into the pub the following evening to avoid them being discovered in the daytime, and he made her agree that if, under any circumstances, Jessie was with him, she was either to leave and come at a later stage, or come back the next day. He returned to work half an hour later as he knew they'd be discovered, but after she'd left, the questions that seemed extinct had now repopulated themselves far greater than before. When he returned to his flat at four in the morning, the first thing he saw was the flowers he'd bought Jessie—or rather the smouldering remains of them—in the sink with a note beside it. He felt crushed as he read the advice Jessie had left for him to do himself, and even more hurt when he read what she'd do to him if he ever acted like that to her again. Tears slid down his cheeks as he read it a second time, and he placed it back where he had found it as he switched off the light and headed into the bedroom. When he got there, he saw another note saying 'turn around', and when he did, he saw Jessie with puffed red eyes and looking exhausted who said:

      "I think we have a problem"

      She went over to him and buried her face into his shoulder as she cried for the countless time that night. It was the hardest night both of them had ever experienced, as they lay crying in each other's arms, and they both felt hollow as they fell asleep so miserable.


	4. 23rd March, 2001

                                                Friday, March 23rd 2001

      Following a tradition that had been in place since they were fairly young, James was the first to awaken and he kept his part of the tradition by watching his best friend's sleeping form. Granted, he now did it with difficulty since his vision was almost as good as ineffective without the aid of his glasses, but he still felt more comfort out of knowing Jessie was safe. His eyes were raw from the crying he'd done last night, and he suspected that his partner would be suffering greater than he was whenever she woke, as she'd appeared distraught when he returned the night before. He was torn between two feelings; on one hand, he had loved Jessie for as long as he'd known her, and wanted nothing more than to raise his child with her, but then again she'd always had strange moods with him whenever she felt like it, and it was times like those he felt like his love was unrequited. Another dilemma in his life was learning that Tyra also bore a child, and although he wasn't altogether certain that it was his, the only other people it could have been wouldn't want to go near their victim again, so he was the only suitable father-figure it could have. He still had strong feelings for her, and even though they weren't as strong as he felt for Jessie, it seemed like he'd prefer to be with Tyra, owing to the fact that he'd loved her when Jessie had repeatedly rejected him in different forms in his mid- to late teens. To make matters even more confounding and complex for him, he needed to consider the fact that she had been hired to assassinate his fiancée by his very own parents, and a betrayal like that made it hard for him to know if she'd go behind his back in the future. He didn't have anyone to confide in regarding this situation, seeing that the only people he could call 'friends' were those he worked with, and he wasn't going to admit any more of his personal problems to Elora, as she would go ballistic if she knew the customer who he'd fought with was also contending for his heart. As for Matt, well, he was looking forward to the next time they were alone together and off-duty so he could exact his revenge. The more he thought about what Tyra said about him, the more he remembered seeing his face in the video tape that brandished one of his friends being degraded. The image in his head of it occurring was crystal clear, and since seeing it, he had been tormented by it frequently (in lieu of the fact he'd only seen it on normal speed once, he cursed his mind for remembering it with such clarity). He ran his hand over his face to wake himself up a bit more, but unfortunately his self-scanning opportunity was brought to an abrupt end when he felt Jessie twitch under his touch.

      She sat upwards slowly, struggling to recall why her eyes were so painful to open, and when she did remember, she felt depression hold her in its familiar evil grasp whilst she fought to remember what the outcome of their argument had been. Her clothes clung to her skin since she had spent a good deal of the night sweating from being fully clothed and sharing body heat under a blanket on a humid night, and she was drawn out of her desires of having a shower when she heard James asking her if she was all right. She shrugged to act as her response to his question, before harshly adding that she felt like a wreck from crying so hard, and that it was out of hurt from his comment regarding someone he didn't even know, as opposed to out of remorse for causing the inconsequential argument between them. James' body became tenser, as her comment acted as an involuntary reaction to her reminder of his cruel jibe the night before. He remained silent momentarily, trying to find a response that wouldn't sound thoughtless or vindictive since he didn't wish to further agitate her by any means, but in spite of this she found annoyance in his silence. She angrily stood up to pull her shoes on, and as she closed the top of her coat over, she felt James lightly grasp her arm and begged her not to leave. She flipped her arm back brusquely to remove his offending touch before saying that she shouldn't have spent the night with him even once after how he betrayed her, and then she stormed out to leave him more confused than before. Without thinking properly, he grabbed his keys and followed her in his bare feet, cursing every other moment as he stood on something that caused pain to shoot up his leg. His speed was greatly hindered by the facts that:

He still suffered from the time he'd had his leg jammed in a wild pokémon gin trap He was wearing his uniform from the night before, which certainly wasn't sitting right on him, and He wasn't wearing his glasses, and found it a great difficulty to run in a path that didn't contain an obstruction. (As it was, he ran into quite a number of things that made his mood even blacker) 

      It was raining in torrents as he raced after her and when he finally caught up with her, his feet were almost numb with the cold. A sudden sense of déjà vu overcame him as he remembered an equally meaningless argument they'd had in the past that had resulted to him sprinting after her in a similar manner. At least this time, there were no dangers of the possibility of his pokémon being stolen and viciously torn apart by someone he'd once thought of as a friend. In spite of the fact that Jessie was wearing footwear, she was still marginally shorter than he was, but in her eyes, just because he was taller than her it didn't mean that she had to treat him higher than dirt. She glowered at him as he held her arms together against her own chest in such a manner that she was unable to move them without being in pain from his strong grip on her forearms. In utter exasperation with having no means of moving her upper limbs, she spat in his face and told him to leave her alone, but he seemed unaffected by her show of disgust, and didn't even bother removing her saliva from his face. Instead, he muttered:

      "I've had that and worse done to me Jessie, so it's not going to make me let you go. What the hell are you acting like this for?"

      "I've had enough of this, get the fucking hell off me"

      "Not until you explain why you're acting like this for no reason. You were fine last night, what's changed?"

      Something inside of Jessie snapped, and she pressed her foot down hard on top of his, which successfully caused his grip to loosen and allowed her to fiercely squeeze his throat. His phobia kicked in almost immediately, and his fist twitched as he fought his urge to hit her (his instincts not to hurt her more than he had to seemed to step into the light), but he did push her backwards to eliminate the risk of him seriously hurting her as his fears consumed his thoughts. He was stumped as to a plausible reason why she acted like she hated him without good reason, and his pain was dissolving into a simmering wave of anger, causing him to push her with more force than intended. There was a sharp smack as her back slapped against the sidewall of some building, and he repeated his demand for a reason why she was acting like she was.

      "Get away from me, now"

      "Just please tell me why you're doing this first. Why did you bother finding me a couple of nights ago if all you wanted to do was tell me you're pregnant and then leave like this?"

      "I don't know why I came near you in the first place, you're scum"

      "What have I done?"

      "You know full well what you've done, now back off"  
      "Actually I don't, what's the matter?"

      "If you ever want to see me again, stay away from me. I might change my opinion of you at some point, though it's unlikely"

      "Just tell me what the fucking hell I've done Jessie, and if it's reasonable, I'll comply with your wish"

      "This is what I think of you"

      She leaned forward as though she were going to kiss him, a façade he didn't believe for one minute, and she crushed his feelings in her next actions; she pulled the engagement ring off her finger and tugged once at her chain roughly to make sure it snapped a couple of seconds later before hurtling the jewellery into the nearest drainage point in the road. The loud accompanying splash created as it fell through the grid and into the culvert echoed inside James' head for a moment or two before he grabbed her and held her tightly against the wall in a way that she was unable to move. Terror flashed across her eyes as he held her silently, and she was already regretting discarding the items, for losing a picture of her deceased friend if not for losing highly expensive jewellery that bore a colossal amount of sentimental value. His head was swamped with the potentialities which lay before him of how to vent his anger, but he amazingly managed to muster enough self-control to walk away from her without hitting her, which was the action ringing in his ears for him to do. He didn't look back once as he journeyed back to his pathetic apartment, as he knew the cocktail of confusion and betrayal would cloud his thoughts too heavily to see her again at that point in time. His feet were both cut from broken glass on the ground and numb with the cold, a combination that worked in his favour as the blood from the cuts was being produced profusely. Back on the street, Jessie kept a prolonged gaze after him as tears mingled with the heavy rain on her cheeks. She knew she shouldn't have attacked him like that, but after what she had learned the day before stung worse than where he had squeezed her shoulders. She wished she hadn't been so stupid as to pretend like everything between them was going to be fine when he returned from work, because in spite of loving him, she found it difficult to admit she could stay with the man who had…it was enough to make her shudder even thinking about it. She decided to ignore the fact the street was crowded and that people were staring at her as she knelt at the drain to see if she could see her jewellery, but alas her search came to no avail as the flooding water had carried it down the system. She was soaking as she wandered into her cold, unattractive apartment, but it was only when she began to take off her soaking clothes whilst running the hot tap for her shower that she heard a noise behind her, indicating she wasn't alone. She fastened her jeans and held her t-shirt against her chest to conceal the fact she wore only her bra on her upper half before turning around to examine who was in the flat with her. She gasped in fear when she saw who it was; it was the employer of the man James had seen her with, and he didn't look entirely pleased with her.

      "Why are you here bitch?"

      "I can ask you the very same question"

      He backhanded her sharply for her insolent answer, and as she waited for the right excuses to fill her head, he said through gritted teeth:

      "You know that you were hired to be with that piece of trash, so why are you here, alone?"

      "He's uh…working"

      He hit her even harder, and she crouched on the floor to protect her stomach, and her depression created by the situation sparked another wave of tears down her face.

      "He's finished working there for this week, you know that as well as I do. Now why the hell are you here?"

      "I f-f-failed. I c-can't do this t-to him, even if h-h-he…"

      "You're paid for a reason, don't forget that. And don't forget who pays for this flat. You have nothing whore, understand?"

      "I'm n-n-not--"

      "If I say you are, then you are. Now take it and be damn grateful, **whore**"

      He grabbed her by her wet hair and manipulated her more into his direction via a painful method before forcing her into fellatio, and to ensure she didn't act up, he stood on her right wrist for the duration of it. When he was done with her, he lifted her up by her throat without any difficulty and thoroughly enjoyed the sight of her struggling for air before throwing her back into the shower where her back slammed against a wall for the second time that morning. Her head felt funny to her as she was close to passing out from cracking it against the wall, but the only thing that kept her awake was the threat of what could happen to her baby—as well as her body—when she wasn't conscious to protect them. The scalding water pouring onto her head felt unbearable to the pain that was already in her system, and although her ears were ringing in agony, she managed to hear the sound of her employer saying 'trust me, you'd better not fuck this up again bitch, unless you'd like an abortion with infected knives and no anaesthetic?' moments after his lips had stopped moving. She only struggled to move after he had slammed the door (it only came out like a whisper to her ears) and when she was kneeling in a state of worrying instability, she vomited into the toilet to remove the bitter taste her sexual abuser had demanded she swallowed. She felt pathetic even though she'd been in worse situations throughout her life, and usually when she didn't even feel remotely this low, she had her locket to open, and she was able to see the pictures of her friends to lighten her mood. Now she didn't even have that, or her ring to kiss when she needed assistance, she felt like that dirt was respected than she ever would be, and after the way she had irrationally walked away from James, she felt like she was dried up, tied and dead to the world. She shivered erratically as she hugged her knees, a side effect from both the rain and the misery she felt within, and she shallowly acknowledged that all she wanted right now was the familiar warm embrace from the man she loved with all her heart. But he'd never forgive her if she were successful in her mission, as there would never be the option of forgiving herself for even contemplating completing it. The only choices she had were to either complete it and die alone, or to fail and kill her child as a direct result, and that was only one of the certainties that would befall her fate.

      Tyra caught sight of her reflection as she walked past a shop window on her way to the nearest pokémon centre, and she looked as wretched as she felt in the atrocious weather. She wasn't as depressed as she usually would be when she set out to steal pokémon for Giovanni like she was now, owing to the fact she had been in James' arms and treated like a human for a while when she had visited him in the tavern, but she still wasn't keen on the notion of making herself a living through theft. She knew the routine that she was about to go through like the back of her hand, and as the rain poured down even harder, she increased her walking speed and even changed her route to the one where she'd cross the city in the forest, where she'd have the shelter provided by the tall trees to cut down the time she'd be out against the elements. She was nearly there when she caught sight of something glittering at the edge of the riverbed, and in spite of the dreadful weather, her curiosity overcame her and she went over to clear water to investigate what had caught her attention. Tangled in the midst of a thicket reeds was a long chain bearing a locket, and she recognised it instantly; weeks of following James like a stalker provided her with knowing everything he purchased like the back of her hand. She crouched down as she fished it out to avoid kneeling in the immersed grass, and regardless of the fact the normally clear slow moving river was rippling inconsistently from the rain, she detected a far less conspicuous item submerged by the patch of reeds. Tyra was perplexed by her discovery; there was not one doubt in her head that they belonged to Jessie, even before she read the inscription to verify her suspicions, but why would they be here, most certainly not on her body? The chain was broken and not undone, so was there a chance that foul play had occurred with its removal, and if that was the case did James have anything to do with it? She decided that she couldn't afford to be later for her mission than she already was, and pocketed the jewellery to return to their owner/buyer later, if she saw either of them in a good mood. She sprinted the rest of the way to the pokémon centre to avoid the wrath of the swollen raindrops dripping from the high branches of the mighty trees contained in Viridian Forest.

      Team Rocket Specialist Laboratory, Segregation Unit…

      Cassidy was huddled on the ground and she shook in terror; she had her back against the cold wall in the cell that was illuminated only with artificial lighting, mentally screaming out questions to which she desperately needed to know the answers whilst simultaneously knowing that to scream them would agitate the enraged subject further. He was armed with quite an array of weapons to attack her with, the least fear-provoking being the clearly labelled syringes filled with a vast number of poisons, and she was the only one in the room to face his unsheathed venomous attitude. He'd somehow managed to dismantle the shackles that held him in place, and the countless injections she had put into his system over the last two months had finally taken full, uninhibited effect, and to put it simply, she had created a monster from evidently supplying him with too much of the serum after he had woken up. If she had fled to the other end of the laboratory, she would have at least been able to hit the panic button for assistance, and since this was the segregation unit, the walls were soundproof and there was no break in that security measure at any point. In a brief summary of her circumstances, she was utterly defenceless against her attacker—she didn't even have her stiletto with her that she normally wore along the inside of the lining of her right boot. The lighting was killed as he smashed the switchbox, which made the atmosphere more haunting to the sobbing woman, knowing that the serum enhanced his eyesight, making him able to see as well in dark as he could in light. She clutched her metal-backed file against her chest in case he launched an attack (this way her heart and most of her vital organs were protected) and made a mental prayer that she'd make it out alive. She screamed for all she was worth in the darkness as she felt a sharp slice across her face, and when the file clattered to the ground he attacked her viciously, splattering her notes with her own warm crimson blood, and she felt she was in total agony as he hacked her to shreds…

      Anthony glanced at his watch out of boredom, deciding how best ask the secretary, Lindsey, out without certain rejection; these uneventful hours of being a security guard was one of the most tedious jobs he'd ever attempted, and if anything did happen he never found out what it was. Today was no exception to that regime, but suddenly his senses became far more alert and he couldn't figure out what had triggered that reaction. Perhaps he'd heard the distant cry of a pokémon or human being tortured and it registered as unnatural in his brain. He was working in a corridor beneath the headquarters today, and was carrying out his shift outside the most prestigious laboratory. He'd worked there before, but today, something felt not quite right…it was as if he felt like the quiet floor was evil for want of a better term, and it made him feel slightly uneasy. He couldn't place the song, but the lyrics 'there's demons in my head and it's more than I can take' zoomed into his head whenever he heard the slightest noise, even if it was only something trivial like a guard shifting their weight, and he felt completely on edge. Inquisitiveness became his prime emotion when the other guards headed up to the main building to change shifts, and once he could guarantee he was alone, Anthony opened the door to the farthest laboratory to see what the secret experiment was, and he initially thought it was empty due to the darkness until he realised he couldn't recall Cassidy leaving it. He pressed the button on his flashlight to make it easier to see the room, and he saw nothing spectacular as he examined the oblong room. He felt perspiration beading along the back of his neck and he squirmed in discomfort as it dripped down his neck, and he felt like he was in a realistic horror movie as his heartbeat was quickening over nothing, but then again he'd never been one to have nerves of steel. He dropped his flashlight in shock as he uncovered the experiment crouching in a stance that made him look like he wanted to pounce at him; his dilated eyes looked feral and blood stained his naked skin, making Anthony believe that his idea of evil had materialised before him. Anthony took a few steps backwards as the experiment took the flashlight in his possession and illuminated the notion that all he'd have to do was move slightly and Cassidy's jugular would be severed. Her eyes pleaded silently with Anthony as she had barely any life left in her tattered body, and she could see most of her lustrous blood clotting on her chest and felt petrified by the sight of it, and if she didn't know that one sound meant instant death, she would have panicked and her hysterics would undoubtedly lead to the loss of her life. The less than happy subject hissed out one word that was a demand in itself:

      "Giovanni"

      Anthony nodded and told him that he'd guide him safely to the person behind the experiment, but only if he'd assist Cassidy out concurrently, and Anthony was surprised when the request was allowed immediately. He sheathed his weapon as Anthony rolled up his sleeves to pick Cassidy up and cradled her in his arms as he stumbled out of the laboratory; in spite of the experiment's frustration and seething rage, he didn't want to have to kill the blonde scientist. Anthony made sure to regulate the speed they walked at in case they elicited the fearsome portcullis, and he could feel his arms shaking as Cassidy grew startlingly heavier.

      At the reception desk, Lindsey amused herself by reading the personal failures of each team member by hacking into the database held within the mother computer from her own, and when she reached James' account, she noticed a particularly vicious account of how pathetic he was in Giovanni's eyes. Jessie's disturbed her even more when she reached it; the information in it contrasted greatly with her partner's, and her application photograph had been swapped to one of the ones Chopper had taken the previous September and submitted to Giovanni. Another account that caught her attention was Anthony's, not only because of his striking features that she could sit and watch all day (she frequently did on quiet days when he worked on the main floor) but also because of the interesting observations on his performance. She copied his photograph into a file on the computer she was doing the hacking from before sending it to her e-mail address whilst she had the opportunity. She was deciding whether or not she was brave enough to read the notes on her own performance when she saw a request for her to open the iron gate flashed up on the computer. She hit enter to confirm the application and the door swung open in front of the three beings from the segregation unit, and the secretary froze in her spot whilst visibly blanching, left speechless upon seeing the horrific image before her that would forever be painted on her memories. With the weapon unsheathed and pointed at the terrified female, Lindsey was left with no choice but to accompany the trio to Giovanni's office and to tell the guards that the situation was perfectly under control. She rested her hand on a section of the wall outside the daunting room that made a miniscule camera focus on their location, and she knew that she could safely do this without fear of being spotted—only Giovanni and herself knew of its existence. She then knocked to pretend to alert Giovanni that he had visitors, even though the room was almost soundproof. She had complained that she couldn't concentrate on her work when she could hear him torturing/raping (depending on the gender) his less successful employees, and he later decided that he didn't like her knowing more than she needed and complied with her request. She was, after all, a disgraced member, and the only reason he still hired her was for her almost unnatural proficiency in computing as well as her unequalled memory and quick-thinking abilities, which often came in use in sticky moments when the police force bothered him at the Gym. As the mechanisms controlling the door's locks eased open, Anthony bit his lip in worry as he entered the room, only this time it wasn't him being afraid of Giovanni's commentary on his performance. Cassidy was unconscious and unbearably heavy, and what was worse his hands were slipping on their hold; her blood had covered most of his body and destroyed his uniform, but most importantly was it was acting as a lubricant and he knew that if he dropped her, it would create too much of a shock to her system. Giovanni genuinely looked afraid when he saw the state of his favourite scientist's torso torn in ribbons, but it actually was out of fear for her life and not his own. The evil experiment turned to the teenagers and ordered they took Cassidy to the hospital wing as soon as possible, and to guarantee that he would be left alone with Giovanni until they had finished, that any disturbances would result in unnecessary loss of life, and he viciously swore that it would not be his own that'd be at risk.

      To ensure that the locks were all opened before he got there, Lindsey raced ahead of Anthony who was struggling with transporting Cassidy in a safe yet speedy manner as she was becoming stiff and like ice to the touch, and he'd readily admit that he was afraid of holding a corpse since death was what he feared the most out of life. When at last he reached the emergency room deep within the heart of the building, Lindsey was already calling up Cassidy's account for the nurses, using her technical skills to complete the process in almost half the time. In spite of the overwrought matter at hand, she allowed herself to release some of her inner tension through brief mirth when Anthony cried out as he got a miniature waxing session; he handed Cassidy over to the professionals—the blood that had been clotting on both of his exposed forearms had stuck to the back of Cassidy's white (well, crimson) coat and when she had been taken out of his possession it took the blood with it. He flushed when he heard her laughing at him, but it didn't take him long to realise that she was neither doing it deliberately nor was it created out of malice. She went over to him (he had moved to a quieter corner after suffering the humiliation of having people hear him scream like a little wussy boy) to examine his arms, and where blood no longer remained on his skin, it was mainly lacking in hair or had blood clinging to the pitiful few that remained. He was glad that his face had been red before she had approached him, as his cheeks would have certainly attained that hue from her proximity as she touched his arm. He watched her face as she studied the drying blood on his shirt, and he was caught completely off his guard when she began unbuttoning his shirt. Although her exterior was relatively tranquil, inside she was cheering with delight of the thought of her seeing his toned muscles, and when he asked her why she was doing it, she said that it was better he changed his shirt before he got the hair torn off in other places. As they headed towards the cupboard containing spare uniforms for every member of the organisation, he decided to pluck up his courage and finally asked her:

      "Doyoufancydoingsomethingtonight?"

                                                                          **

      Tyra felt exhausted as she finally entered Team Rocket Headquarters; it was apparent that the police force had seen the same formula applied in other robberies in pokémon centres; nevertheless she had successfully exited the building with each creature she had stolen. The only difficulty she had encountered was making her getaway without losing any of them, as she didn't want to give her superior a reason to take his anger out on her. She waited at the reception for clearance to go towards Giovanni's office, yet she felt more uncomfortable than usual as she sensed a higher rate of fear in the air than what it should be. Tyra felt irritated that she had to wait, so whilst the reception was unoccupied, she leaned over the desk to send the request for admittance directly herself, and she marched forward without any problems when it was granted. The sight that greeted her eyes as she entered the room filled her heart with dread; it had been one thing to see him in the laboratory, but to see him in natural light was eerie. His Prussian blue eyes glinted as the rays of light cascaded over him, and he might appear angelic if it wasn't for the purely twisted look of evil throughout his features. He curled his lip and spat out a greeting to her, still half-disgusted that almost all of his skin was so sorely visible, and Giovanni's evil voice cut through the tough shell she had spent twenty minutes building up like it was nothing.

      "It was most unfair for me to assign you with Butch, it would be better all around if you worked with someone you know a little better. Meet your new partner"

      "No…"

      "Listen to me, you ineffectual effluent, I haven't forgotten about yesterday's stunt, so I'd abide by your orders if you know what's good for you. I don't know how you got out after activating the portcullis, but I'm willing to let it go since you completed your mission successfully today"

      "Yes sir"

      "As you can tell, the one I gave you two days ago is no longer applicable, as we won't need the medication for your partner therefore you don't need to raid the sanctuary in Jojoba town. Here is your new mission, and I believe you won't protest about this mission as much as you usually do Tyra"

      The way he said her name etched a hole in her soul—she knew that he wasn't speaking truthfully, and her very spine seemed to quake as he paused to tell her the new mission. In fact, she was greatly surprised when she learned what the mission was; it was so simplistic and it was something that she didn't object to at all, yet she knew that if she completed it she would consider herself a traitor. What was worse was that she was presented with three identical miniscule devices that acted acutely as both a tracker and a transmitter, so that Giovanni could hear every word of her mission as it unfolded, and her location if she didn't even attempt to start it. The reason she was given three was so she could have them in three different areas of her body in case there was a problem with one. A fact about the devices that wasn't disclosed was this: if she attempted to remove them from their locations after they'd been activated without permission, they'd explode whenever they were set against a different surface without providing even the slightest warning. Much to her disgust and horror, she was ordered to allow him to position them on her, and when she used the presence of her 'partner' as an excuse for him to let her do it herself in privacy, she heard a snicker from her so-called partner, who said:  
      "Like seeing you would excite me"

      With trembling fingers, she undid the fastenings on her soaking coat and took it off before she sat on Giovanni's desk as asked, feeling low and vulnerable whilst he busied himself attaching one on the inside of her boot, and the feel of a man's hand at the top of her thigh made her feel sick. She was further nauseated when he demanded her to remove her uniform, and when she stuttered out that she didn't feel it necessary, he retorted that it didn't seem likely she'd wear something that revealed her work in this mission, and unfortunately, she was inclined to agree with him on this occasion. She could barely pull off her gloves due to the rate her fingers were shaking at, but there was a noticeably increase in her speed when he ran his hand further up her leg, and she nearly cried out when he touched her, but she knew that any show of discomfort was a sure-fire way of inviting him to do as he pleased. Then again he seemed to be doing anyway. He knew that she was deathly afraid of him from her past experiences, and that made this all the more gratifying for him. He didn't need her to remove her uniform at all for where he intended putting the other two devices, this was his idea of making her suffer for escaping his trap so easily the day before. When she sat in only her boots and underwear, trying to conceal as much of her body as possible with her hands, Giovanni decided on a final cruel trick to put her through. He leaned forward and lifted her up by her rear before tossing her on the floor, saying maliciously:

      "Go buy something sexier. You'll hardly succeed if you think they're sexy"

      "But…what's it matter? I-I-I don't want to look good, y-you know why"

      "So? You're meant to look like a siren, not like something found in the garbage bag"

      "I-I d-d-don't even have any m-money with m-me"

      "Here's fifty, just make sure you buy something that would make someone want to go near you, and if what you buy doesn't agree with me, you'll learn how to buy better, understood?"

      "Y-yes s-s-sir"

      She picked up the note he threw at her and went to pick up her uniform as she crouched, since it hid more of her body even if her wet hair stuck to her back, and she felt like a fistful of ice shot right through her system when he stood on it, and he tossed her coat at her, telling her that it was all she was allowed. As she put it on and ran out of the door whilst fastening the buttons, he called out:

      "Don't forget we're tracing you if you don't feel like coming back"

      As she sprinted in the rain, she silently wept since she knew it was being recorded and didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry, and in the office, her partner sat on the windowsill and said:

      "I thought what she had on was sexy"

      "So did I, but if I told her that it would spoil the fun I'm about to get when she comes back"

      James sat in the waiting room, nervous and anticipating what was going to happen at the same time. Of all the days for him to get dumped like he had, he would have preferred it to be any but this, the day he needed to have someone with him as he went to get blood tests taken to verify whether or not he had contracted anything from Deryck six months ago. Anxiety soared in his system whenever he saw a doctor leave his surgery, or when the door opened with someone that needed assistance far greater than he did; he pitied the other people, yet at the same time he just wanted to get it done so he could leave. He recognised a few people from working in the pub, but he wasn't familiar enough with them to put a surname on any of them, even though he was able to name a few of the young women's numbers from being given them so often. When he was finally called into surgery, his slight anxiety was replaced with total trepidation; sitting like this was too familiar to him, and the doctor's face frightened him even more. His face was hideously scarred from an accident when he was younger, and there was a tattoo of a small 'x' underneath his right ear—there was no mistaking it, it was definitely the same person James knew and he feared what was about to be said. The doctor picked up James' arm and roughly pushed his sleeve up to expose a vein to stick the syringe in, and he complained about there being a discoloured patch on his elbow, undoubtedly from years of drug abuse. James mentally squirmed as he said that, as he wondered why more about his past hadn't been said, since he had been one of his fellow dealers when Chopper had gone off to care for Carlotta. Although he didn't mind needles in the slightest, it was still frightening to see an ex-junkie like himself putting a needle into his arm, even if he was subtracting from instead of adding to his blood stream. When the required amount was taken, the doctor stuck a plaster on his arm and told him that the results would be mailed out to him over the next few days, depending on how quickly they were analysed, and just as James was about to leave the surgery, the doctor added:  
      "No, in case there's any doubt in your mind, I haven't forgotten our history. I'm not going to tell du Paor you're back in town if that's what's worrying you, or at least I'm assuming you haven't become afraid of needles recently. Not likely after all the stuff you used to pollute yourself with"

      "My past died when I nearly did in the alley"

      "As did mine when I was accepted into a medicine school. The past can ruin our futures, so I won't mention it to anyone, I suggest you do the same. I'd lose my career if even a fraction of it was discovered"

      "Thank you, as always I'll follow your wishes. You've saved my skin many times in the past, so I still feel partially in your debt"

      "Just stay alive, okay?"

      "I have no intentions of leaving this world yet"

      As James walked the long way back to his apartment, he noticed the sky was brightening up a bit, even though it was still heavily clouded the rain had finally ceased. He wasn't paying attention to anything in particular since he knew the route like the back of his hand, and he apologised sincerely when he walked into someone. He looked surprised to see a very weather-beaten looking Tyra, and she seemed to perk up when she saw him and greeted him warmly. The concoction created by dark emotions in James' head made him act in a way he wouldn't have imagined the day before; he leaned forward and kissed her gently. She suddenly became very aware that he might recognise her boots as part of a Team Rocket uniform, and moved closer to him to hide them from his sight. She knew that she was supposed to return to Giovanni because of the tracker, but the feeling of James' embrace around her with his lips covering hers was just too tempting for her to leave. He noticed her shivering against his skin and saw that her jacket was far wetter than his was, so he began to take his off as he offered it to her. She smiled shyly and politely declined the offer, saying that she couldn't do it, hoping that she wouldn't have to explain why, but of course, he was too nice to her and insisted that she should take it. She didn't find his touch even the slightest bit revolting as he carefully undid her coat, to be honest she found the slight brushing of his fingers against her bare skin quite arousing, and it was only when he had the coat nearly a third of the way unbuttoned that he asked her if she was wearing anything underneath as he had yet to discover material. She cautiously checked that nobody was close to them before moving the coat slightly away from her body to show him what she had on (she smiled to herself when she realised from his reaction that at least one person found her sexually attractive) and he whispered into her ear:

      "Why must you make me want you?"

      "Because if you don't, I don't know anyone that would"

      "You're beautiful, every man who's straight would want you"

      "They use me once then toss me away"

      "It was different when I did it"

      "Maybe, but it still hurt to think I had a future with you, then you hurt me the next day"

      "I loved you the next day, until you had Jessie at gunpoint"

      "I take it things aren't going so well between you?"

      "What gave you that idea?"

      "Look at how you're holding me in public; you wouldn't do that if you felt you had a true chance with her, and I found these this morning"

      He took the jewellery from her hand and shoved them in his pocket, trying to banish them from his thoughts for the moment, and without saying a word, he pulled her into another passion-hungry kiss. Tyra suddenly panicked that she was keeping Giovanni waiting, and she couldn't lie to him if she was bugged as he'd have evidence against her, so she broke away from him and said that she needed to get back to her apartment, and that she'd only popped out for a couple of necessities. He instantly knew it was a lie but he didn't press it in case the reason she was in her underwear had to do with another man, even though it wasn't likely after her past. She promised she'd go into the pub later that night and, as they'd previously arranged, she wouldn't approach him if he was near Jessie, and after she'd left, he felt hollow; he wanted two women yet couldn't fully love either from their actions. He fixed his jacket and continued the lonely walk back to his sanctuary, wondering what he should do if he saw Jessie again, and whether or not to give her the jewellery back. Tyra, on the other hand, almost floated back to the most daunting building in the entire city after her brief liaison with James, and their kisses had given her enough courage to face Giovanni with almost anything he could throw at her. It was just as well, because when she showed him what she'd bought, he grunted out:

      "Good, you do have style. Now put them on"

      After the embarrassing procedure of being naked in front of both her employer and partner, she stood in front of Giovanni and let him append the tiny devices to the flimsy material, she was shocked at how the small aerials flipped themselves backwards and fused together, and although she had watched it happening (mainly to ensure he didn't expose her if it wasn't necessary), she could barely see where the device was, never mind the fact she couldn't feel it. After he had affixed the third and final device, he told her that the one on her boot hadn't been activated yet, since it was highly unlikely that she'd wear them except for work, so she was to connect it herself as soon as possible. As she left the office in her uniform again, a great load lifted off her shoulders when she considered the fact her liaison with James hadn't been recorded, and that she'd probably see him again that night. She just felt guilty about lying to him the night before, even though it hadn't been too much of a lie, and she swore to herself that she'd tell him the truth before he found out himself.

      James was incredibly bored as he worked on his night shift, as Jessie failed to turn up and since it was so busy, he couldn't take a minute off to see if she was in the vicinity. Matt had wisely permanently exchanged all of his shifts with a different barman to avoid working at the same time as James, as he could tell from the night before that his life would be in danger if they were left alone. The only thing about Matt was that if he had been the one to rape Jessibelle, it meant that he had links with du Paor, and that was one person whose path James had no desire to ever cross again in his lifetime. Elora seemed to be working him harder than usual, and he assumed it was due to his disappearance from work on two different occasions that week, even if he'd promised to work on his next night off. She certainly seemed displeased—no, upset described her better—when Tyra turned up in the last ten minutes of opening hours, seeking James when he was finished his shift. Tyra looked nothing short of stunning to him as she'd really made an effort to look good, and her pulse was racing as he came over to her to kiss her lightly on her lips when Elora went to answer a phone call. He mouthed a quick apology before he went around collecting used glasses from empty tables, and as always, he smiled when he reached the booth he'd spent with Jessie the night they were drunk (he still didn't know he'd been drugged). When the pub was finally declared closed, he declined the offer for them to have an after-hours drink with the other workers as he'd much rather to spend some time alone with her.

      It was bitterly cold as they left the warm pub together, and they walked around the city for a while and avoided the areas where James knew never to go near if they wanted to remain unscathed. They found great comfort in each others company as they talked as if the past twelve months hadn't existed, and when it began to pour rain again, they headed into Viridian Forest to have some shelter since they were nowhere near James' apartment, and he wouldn't have felt comfortable asking to stay at hers for a while. He made another move on her, but this time his actions were obviously more heated even though he didn't touch any of her more intimate areas. She melted under his touch and trembled slightly as she ran her hands over his body, both out of nervousness as well as the thrill it was leaving her with as she did it. It was only after she moved his hands to her advantage that she remembered about the trackers, but she was so content with the situation that it wasn't a great worry to her at that point. It was only when she shivered slightly that he saw that her clothing was a tad distorted, and he cheekily said:

      "You must really like torturing me, because I know for a fact that's not what you had on earlier"

      "How do you know?"

      "Do you honestly expect me to forget an image like that? That's what kept me going all evening in that blasted pub"

      "Yeah right"

      "I'm honest, I love you and your body's just so…"

      "Did you just say you loved me?"

      "Yeah"

      "Are you serious? What about J…"

      "If the next word you're about to say is Jessie, then don't. I'm not sure if even our friendship is salvageable. She cut me up pretty badly since…well, you know when. If you want me to take it back I won't, but you can pretend I didn't say it if you want"

      "Why would I take away the best thing I've heard all year? You know how I've always felt about you"

      "I know. I still hate myself for hurting you so badly"

      "You didn't hurt me too much, I knew the rules when we got together, but to have you near me is more than I could hope for after what we put you through"

      "We could be closer, but I can wait"

      "Actually, I think I'll choose to ignore that last part"

      "Cheeky…"

      "What were you about to call me?"

      "Yet incredibly sexy woman"

      "Yeah right"

      "It was, to tell the truth. You're really attractive"

      "Doubt it. You're just trying to get me in bed"

      "I said I'd wait didn't I? Try to accept a compliment once in a while, I indisputably like the way you look"

      "Do you want to come back to mine?"

      "Are you certain it's what you want? I don't have anything with me"

      "Positive, and we can buy some. Or at least you can, you made a fortune in tips tonight"

      "That's nothing to what I sometimes get, believe it or not. And I don't even talk to the customers!"

      After sex and before Tyra fell asleep, James admitted to her that he hadn't slept with anyone else since their fling, and this made her feel even more ecstatic that it was something else they'd had in common. As she began to feel drowsy, she asked James to turn off the bedside light, as she'd much rather learn to remember lying in his arms in the dark than being raped. She made herself stay awake until she noticed a change in his breathing that indicating he'd fallen asleep before quietly saying 'mission accomplished' in the direction of where her underwear lay on the ground. She snuggled closer to James as she fell asleep, knowing that in the morning, things would probably be colossally different for them both, and not necessarily in a good sense. Sleep came easily to her due to the circumstances, but at the back of a mind, a thought niggled at her, and it was saying 'can I ever have sex without someone recording us?'


	5. 24th March, 2001

                                                Saturday, March 24th 2001

      Tyra woke up earlier than James did, and when she realised this, she had to distract herself away from the notion of him naked lying next to her to concentrate on her mission. She knew that she had only half-completed it as her job had been to seduce him and find out where he lived from the tracker, but that wouldn't work now they'd slept together in her apartment. She was afraid of going near his home anyway, as it would involve telling both Giovanni and her partner where it was, and if they knew that, it immediately endangered his life. It was risky enough as it was as she'd revealed where he worked, and she felt like she was betraying her heart as well as her friend, and in spite of her living most of her later life in guilt, it didn't make it any easier for her to cope with it. She felt his hand twitching against her back slightly and she fought to suppress the giggle that surged into her mouth when she felt it; it made her feel complete somehow, in the knowledge that she'd slept with him twice, and one of those times had been after he learned of her previous job. She ran her hand along his body until he woke up, and without saying a word against her actions, he took her into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately. When they finally broke the kiss, she revealed that she didn't think it had been real as she felt like she could never get anywhere near him after all she had done to him. She noticed that his muscles hardened to some extent as she mentioned what she had done, but they relaxed after a second or two when he replied that he saw her as the woman he used to love, not the one who'd tried to kill him, and before she could bring up any more bad memories, he kissed her again. She could find no flaw with his method of silencing her, especially when the passion sparked between them again, and she was almost disappointed when he pulled back to clear his throat. He quietly explained that his throat was becoming sore and that he probably wouldn't be able to talk properly until he took some more medicine, which he didn't have with him. She reluctantly answered that she wouldn't mind if he left to get it, as she hadn't expected to spend even this amount of time with him so it wouldn't matter too much if their time got cut short. He felt culpable when he heard her tone and he held her against his body as a way of showing her that he had no intentions of leaving her anytime soon. Tyra suddenly burst into tears for a reason completely unknown to James, and when he asked her what was wrong she just cried harder. He ran his hand through her hair to soothe her, and when she was sufficiently calmed down, she decided to summon enough courage to break a lie she'd told him.

      "I'm not pregnant"

      "WHAT did you just say?"

      "You heard me. Remember how I said I would have raised my baby away from you?"

      "Yes, but how could you do this to me?"

      "Just hear me out, okay? I was pregnant, and I would never have told you about it except I think you should know. Two months ago, I had a miscarriage in a sense. I went for a check-up as I was running a high fever all the time, and they told me that my baby had choked on my umbilical cord, and my placenta was absorbing the contaminated amniotic fluid. I still had to have the child, but I never gave birth. That's the truth, and you can take it however way you want. If you think I'm lying, that's fine because I'm…"

      "I don't think you'd lie about something like that, but if you are it's a terrible thing to choose"

      "I haven't told anybody else about it, but then again I don't know anyone else I could tell. If you still think I'm a bitch for lying to you, just think of what happened. You asked was I pregnant, and at a time I was. It brought back all those memories when you said it, you caught me off my guard and I wasn't thinking straight"

      "It's fine, it's a shock to me as well and I really wished I hadn't overreacted right now. Jessie's pregnant and not talking to me, so I just felt like I turned my back on my child for no reason. Trust me, I don't feel that way, it was the first thing that went into my head"

      "I know, let's call it quits. Are you positive she's pregnant?"

      "Without a doubt, and I know it's mine. Let's not talk about that now though, okay?"

      "Fine. You're not mad at me, are you?"

      "Not really, I can understand how you accidentally made me think it. And I'd still have gone through with last night if you'd told me when we were in the back of the pub"

      "Really?" 

      "Yes, but last night didn't bring back any bad memories of it happening, did it?"

      "No. I'm almost over the shock of it all, and the only thing I felt was bliss. I didn't think you'd still be here when I woke up"

      "I can handle seeing you in the morning, I've done it before remember? And how did you manage to wake up with your make-up looking as good as it did last night?"

     "Shoot I forgot to take it off!" "At least I helped you take other things off…"

      "Like I'll forget that in a hurry. It's weird but I can still feel you touching me like you did last night, and I don't mean where your hands are now"

      "Do you mean here?"

      "Ohhhh yeahhhh"

      He smiled to himself momentarily as he knew that as long as he pleased her in this format, he wouldn't need to strain his voice through talking. He was also glad that she wanted to have sex with him, not only because he benefited greatly from it, but also because it showed him that she was no longer afraid of him taking advantage of or hurting her like she was the last time. His mind was in a conundrum at the moment; he had denied Jessie sex when she'd begged him, yet he'd succumbed to his instincts when Tyra was involved--did this mean she was someone he could mess around with, or was she worth more to him than Jessie was? He waited until he'd given her full satisfaction before telling her that he really needed something to moisten his throat and he asked her if she wanted a drink of coffee or anything, and she accepted just to have his company for a while longer. She watched him as he left the bedroom, and when he was out of her view she did something that she regretted almost instantly; she took the still inactivated tracker off her boot before putting it under the tongue of his shoe and activated it. To hide her guilt she went out of the room and held him as he fixed her drink, and she knew that if that move was ever found out, she'd never be allowed to speak to him, never mind sleep with him.

      Jessie woke up shivering and it took her a while to realise where she was, and why she was there. She was on the stone floor of her bathroom, and she vaguely remembered passing out there after her shower. She nearly shrieked when she caught sight of her reflection as it was so drastically different to the last time she'd seen it—her cheeks were swollen and a hideous purple where her employer had hit her roughly, not forgetting the bruising along her throat and neck from when she'd been lifted up and forced forward. She felt even worse about how she'd reacted towards James, and she knew that she'd need to contact him again as quickly as possible if she valued her child's life; the only problem she valued James' too highly to put that at risk, and she knew that she was being made to choose who she preferred. It seemed that whichever option she'd choose would result in the loss of someone very dear to her heart, yet there were no possible way for her to change the options of her instructions. She wished she'd never been sucked into this vicious world she now resided in, but it had seemed like the only option available to her after losing contact with James. She drew her gaze away from the cracked pathetic mirror (it even looked how she felt), and when she felt like she'd grasped a better version of reality, she fixed her appearance and set out to find James to apologise to him. Providing she took certain safety precautions to avoid being sighted, she might be able to talk to him without him lashing out at her for the way she'd treated him; the last thing she desired was another beating from her employer for even a hint of deceit on her part. The sharp breeze blowing throughout the town attacked her cuts without mercy due to the content of salt from the tidal river in the air, and she found that almost unbearable. Unfortunately for her, when she got to the block of apartments, she realised that she didn't know the code to open the outside door, and due to her present state of distress she would have readily smashed it open had it not been made of bullet-proof glass. It seemed to mock her as she could clearly see the stairs that she wanted to ascend through the transparent barrier, and she despised it being so near and yet so far. She released a deep growl and walked to the nearest phone booth to watch the door, as she didn't want to seem like a stalker to the general public. The small booth also offered her some much-needed protection from the cruel wind, which was something she required when she was determined to watch the one area for any given amount of time. Luckily, she was rewarded for her boring occupation within an hour when James opened the door _from the outside_, which was entirely unexpected, and what pained her more was that he was in his uniform from the night before. She shook herself out of her shock and took after him, praying that she made it to him before the door shut in front of her, and if it did, there was no predicting what she would do.

      James was beginning to feel uneasy as he neared his room number, and even though he couldn't name what was unsettling his disposition, he still felt like he was being watched. He shrugged it off lightly and put it down to his conscience attacking him for sleeping with someone he shouldn't even trust enough to hold a conversation with her, yet he still battled with his senses as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. As he slid it into the lock, he distinctly heard someone coming up the steps and for a reason unknown to him, he tensed up and felt like he was going to be attacked, albeit he didn't live alone in the building. He decided to ignore it and opened the door to his room to collect the medicine he desired more than anything at that point of time, and his heart was pierced when he heard Jessie calling out his name. He chose to deny his true feelings and went to close the door behind him without performing any act of correspondence with her, but she caught up to him and stood in the doorway behind him. He still refused to face her as she held his forearm lightly, and he was torn between possibilities as he heard her crying bitterly without any prompt for her to do it on his behalf. He felt torn, but his hurt at being rejected stung in his memories and it lorded his following reactions; he quietly said to her 'I think these are yours' as he put the jewellery into her hand on his arm, and he closed her fingers over them before pushing her backwards and entered the apartment alone. Once he was certain that he couldn't be seen or heard by her, he downed his medicine as he began to cry at the state of betrayal she had left him feeling from her cruel actions, and he unsuccessfully tried convincing himself that it was like the time she'd locked him out of their hotel room after a similar argument when they were together. In spite of appearing like he didn't care about her, he was dreadfully glad that he hadn't taken Tyra back to his apartment with him like he had originally intended—it would have hurt her far more than his current show of disaffection did.

      Team Rocket Headquarters, 11:35 hours…

      Tyra showed up in uniform at the building she no longer felt afraid of approaching, and she waited patiently in the elite staff room. For some unknown reason, the secretary had giggled as she accepted Tyra's identification number and incoherently said that they'd both had excellent nights. She suddenly remembered the tracker would obviously transmit to somewhere in the building, and that the secretary had probably been the one to screen what went on for the hours she was bugged. She groaned to herself at what an uninteresting job it must be for her to carry out, but then she remembered that if she was stuck listening to it the night before, it wouldn't be quite so boring as she initially thought. Due to the close bond they once shared, Tyra felt quite comfortable talking to Lindsey about the level of intimacy she'd reached with James the night before, as when she thought realistically on the matter, there was nobody else she could tell her conquests to due to her non-existent social life. She was glad that there was at least one person she could talk to who knew about her occupation as well as her shadowed past without judging her, as she knew that she'd lose all contact with James if she ever revealed that she was recording every moment they spent together, and that she had bugged him. It rang with too many similarities of Deryck spoiling their first time in September, and even now she couldn't see herself forgiving him for his larceny of her virginity. Without showing a strand of worry on her face, she inwardly fretted at meeting her partner in Giovanni's office again; she still thought that it was like talking to the dead even though she knew the exact details of the experiment. Her cool exterior didn't falter as she was given an order to go to Giovanni's office at once, and for the second time in succession, she didn't even shake slightly as she strode down the formidable corridor, alone. As feared, her partner was present in the office, and she noticed that Giovanni's Persian cowered in the corner furthest away from him. She couldn't figure out what emotion was the most visibly strongest in her employer's eyes whilst she ignored her partner scratching at a small shell of skin over where a needle had been inserted into his exposed pelvis; it was a combination of his usual self-confident arrogance, but it was the other ingredient of the concoction that she couldn't place. He smirked at her perplexed expression and tossed her an envelope that she didn't look at; she knew that if she broke eye contact with him, it would kill her self-confidence and he'd gain an advantage. She didn't pass any comment on his action, and she stood in a defiant stance in silence until he ordered her to read it. Perspiration broke out across the back of her neck as she slid her right index nail under the seal of the envelope, yet when she read it, it wasn't half as worrying as she had expected—it was a heavy bonus for her successful mission, and on a separate piece of paper, it gave her permission to withdraw from her present duty. She was stunned and blurted out a question regarding his generosity, and he gave her a genuine smile as he replied:

      "It was simply ingenious for you to disobey my orders by not triggering the contrivance immediately, but your insubordination can be excused by you transferring it to the very person we want you to follow. And you did complete yesterday's assignment, even if the location was not learned, but that's already been discovered through your idea. Your new partnership has also been dissolved for now, as he has confided in me that he holds no interest in working with you. You haul around too much emotional baggage with you wherever you go, and not only is that impractical for any line of business, but it also shows that you may allow matters long past to cloud your thoughts of cooperation. It might be worthwhile for you to note this as a once off, and that any partner I assign you to will be permanent unless I state otherwise. Report back here in three days for your next assignment"

      "Thank you for your extensive bounteousness, but sir? I have one small question, do you grant me permission to ask it?"

      "Quickly, now what do you want?"

      "Have you granted me permission to remove the devices?"

      "Yes, but you'll regret it if it's done incorrectly"

      "Sir?"

      "What now?"

      "How _do_ I remove it correctly?"

      With a familiar sadistic returned to his face, he pointed to the door, indicating it was time for her to leave as he added:

      "You'll see it's done correctly or not, if you have any eyes to see with when you try"

      Tyra's initial reaction was to panic at his words, but she knew it would be wise not to reveal anything that made her appear weak in any sense, so instead she genuflected and left whilst muttering another form of gratitude. Just before the door closed, she heard her now ex-partner shouting that the tracker had a sample of her DNA, so it would unhook itself from its location and follow her if she went more than five hundred yards away from it. When she entered the main foyer again, she decided to seek the secretary's advice on how to remove them to save her from panicking further than she already was, but she was already concentrating on something on the computer screen when she approached her. Lindsey flashed Tyra a grin and asked her what was the matter whilst trying to suppress the desire to laugh roaring inside her, and her friend noticed this almost straight away. Curiosity overcame her worried state and she turned the computer around so she could discover what her source of amusement was, and she almost wished she hadn't when she saw it. She discovered the tracker was more than a locater, but it seemed to also contain a camera somewhere on its tiny surface area, and Lindsey was watching what they had discussed earlier. Tyra decided that it somehow made it even for the time she'd watched the after-effects of giving James a few spiked drinks, and she mentally admitted that she'd easily relinquish watching the film if it meant she'd be in the same situation with him that night, but for the moment she was caught up in memories. She snapped out of it when she remembered the situation at hand regarding the evil devices lingering just above her skin, and she quietly asked the intelligent secretary for assistance in their removal, and she was more than willing to help with her technological abilities. They went into a room nearby that was empty, and for the simple reason it was simpler to gain access to, she chose to deactivate the one lower down on her body first. It took her nearly fifteen minutes to find the small piece of machinery seeing it was so well hidden due to its size, and she scrutinised it with a powerful pince-nez (causing Tyra to feel humiliated beyond belief) before snapping back one of the legs and a short fizzle as she put it down on a table alerted her that it had been deactivated successfully. She knew that it would have exploded if it wasn't, which wasn't unexpected as she had designed the prototype of that particular model. She wasn't given sufficient time to work on the last one as Giovanni's office door could be heard opening, and after fleeing to her original position, Lindsey opened a file that she should have been working at on the computer, and she felt relief when she saw that he was still at the doorway, talking to the subject. Tyra emerged from the room they had been in moments later, and she made arrangements to meet Lindsey in the pub where James worked at half nine or thereabouts (she knew before asking that it automatically involved her taking Anthony). She solidified her side of the arrangements and fulfilled Tyra's prophecy regarding her boyfriend, but then again it hadn't been too hard to figure it out since the young woman was clearly smitten with him.

      Elsewhere…

      "Tonight's the night"

      "Are you positive it's what he wants?"

      "That scum's avoided our grip for long enough, and if the bitch isn't going to help us like we hired her for, then she's being punished. Did you get the items on the list I gave you?"

      "Naturally. I had some difficulty obtaining the nebulous thyroproxine, but it seems that our links with the legal medicinal world came in use once again"

      'Personally I'm looking forward to the suffering tonight', he thought to himself, 'it's been too long since we've had anything that's got me as excited as this, and this is only the tip of the iceberg of surprises I have prepared for that bastard. He'll pay big time…'

      Back in the hospital deep within Team Rocket Headquarters, extensive tests were being run on Cassidy to see if they could save her at all, and all the scientists, no matter how many years they'd held a profession in medicine, were alarmed at the little time they had before her brain slipped too deeply into a coma for them to pull her out of it. Paradoxically, she was the only one who was an expert in this area, and not only were her notes coded, but they were completely unreadable due to her blood covering them and making two words legible per page, and that was at the very most. She had required five units of blood to stabilise her condition, yet she was still paler than any other patient they had ever worked on, and that included those who'd lived in the dark cells for a few years with no access to sunlight. They had felt guilty as they performed cosmetic surgery on her front, but due to the widespread injuries that her attacker had caused they had no choice to do it. She'd required a double mastectomy to avoid certain infection, and they had needed to take some skin from her calves to lessen the deep grooves in her face the sharp weapons had left, and her top ribs had shards dangerously pointing inwards, so they'd need to be removed if her condition worsened in even the smallest way. One thing was for certain: she'd never win any beauty pageants, even if requirements excluded the contestants of wearing a bikini as partial judgement. Her injuries were so vast that if she wasn't such a valuable asset to the team of elite scientists and a favourite of their employer's, they would have disregarded her as a patient and continued researching other matters. But seeing she was, they had no choice but to carry out the gruesome surgery on the nineteen-year-old girl, which proved a heartbreaking procedure for most of them. What was more heartbreaking was watching her partner, Butch, pace the corridor continuously, and he refused to sleep or leave the area in case news of her condition were available in his absence. The amount of coffee he'd drunk the night before to calm his nerves and to keep him awake simultaneously was beginning to affect his bladder stronger than it had before then, so he was forced to retreat to a chair and cross his legs. He'd readily divulge that he'd much rather have an accident on himself than leave Cassidy at a time like this, and due to the tense situation, he realised that things he'd usually occupy his time with were no more than trivial items. Although he wasn't even remotely a religious man (he'd broken most of the Ten Commandments in the last year, never mind his entire life) he prayed to any god that would listen and heed his call. The only problem was, he'd been living _sans dieu_ for so long, he became frustrated at having to ask an invisible source for guidance whilst appearing like a lunatic to himself, and he was convinced they'd all abandoned him. 'Please let her be okay, I'll do anything if she lives…' Unbeknownst to the youth in deep thought, he'd committed himself to answering anything that anyone asked him and to act at his or her behest, and it was triggered within the instant after he thought it. A thirty-something doctor approached him and disclosed the information regarding her stability: she was reversing the direction her body had been heading in, and if she maintained this speed, she'd be awake within a month. Until the examinations were complete the following day, she would not be allowed any visitors so she suggested he went around the city for a while for some fresh air, knowing that he'd never leave the hospital longer than an hour at the most. He grinned in delight and held the doctor in a tight embrace to show the huge relief that he now felt, and when she disappeared the first thing he did was head to the nearest lavatory, almost doubled up as he did so to control his weakened urinary muscles.

      Jessie stood at an overpass, looking at the countless speeding cars below her, contemplating jumping off to cease all the worry presently burning through her life, and tragically there seemed to be more advantages with suicide than with living. Fate seemed to help her decide whether or not she should live as in the following seconds, her baby kicked her severely and a speeding car skidded across the road into another. Although it was an accident, the drivers died the instant the cars collided and the road turned into total carnage and mayhem. Jessie released a fraught scream to vent the breeding anguish deep within her, and part of that contained jealousy at the dead drivers—their lives had been tragically cut short by an unwanted interception by Death, yet she had wanted to end hers and the cars had stopped to spite her wishes. She touched her stomach harshly, and if she had thought any use would have come of it, she would have smacked herself there sharply, to teach her child not to go against her in the future. She knew that it was futile and astringently wondered if her baby had psychic powers that had caused the crash for its own selfish reason of wanting to live. She began an onerous walk around the city to give her something to do whilst she contemplated how she could keep her employer happy without endangering her on/off fiancé's life, and the same results tolled up into her head: not applicable. She paused as she passed the Viridian City Gym, and she half-considered looking for a job just to leave the city, even if it meant living in poverty in a remote area, trying to perform a life-threatening stunt at least once each day. She hadn't set foot in that building since the day James had been beaten up after her near-infidelity, and she hadn't set eyes on Giovanni since the night he'd taken advantage of her at the formal dance. Even though she hated him with a fiery passion, she'd readily sleep with Giovanni if it guaranteed the safety of those she loved, but due to her numerous misgivings on that concept, she decided that it would be better to enter the building when she'd come to a rational decision from thinking over it properly. The sky began to darken again and she resumed her walk at a greater pace to avoid the temperamental firmament, as well as the people that came out from the dark with it…

      The Silver Bullet, 21:27 hours…

      James was caught off his guard when Tyra walked into his workplace with two other people, but he quickly overcame his surprise with enjoyment as he gave her a quick kiss on her lips when Elora's back was facing them. He told them to sit down and he'd bring the drinks over; as a golden rule their level of business soared sky-high on a Saturday night, and this was no exception. He wished that there were less of the populace seeking alcohol to quench their thirsts for a few minutes to allow him a few minutes to talk to her, but he knew that it wasn't likely to happen for another few hours, and that would be when it was closing time. Still, Tyra didn't seem to mind this as it left her with some time to talk to an old friend, and when he did get off his shift, he'd be hers for however long she wanted him. Or so she thought. Whilst she talked to Lindsey and familiarised herself with her boyfriend, James asked Elora if he could spend a few minutes with her if things quietened down a bit. She asked him what did she hire him for if he didn't work, and he replied, in the same jovial manner, that if he left to work somewhere else, she'd lose all of her business. She laughed at his suggestion that he was responsible for all of her customers, and he cheekily added that he meant she'd lose her business because she'd follow him, and not because he gathered her female punters as she had initially thought. She shrugged and agreed with him, and she granted him permission to talk to his friend, mainly because he'd worked there without a single break for five months, and it was only fair that she allowed him some time now. He thanked her, and she regretted it five minutes later when the pub was just as full, but none of the customers needed their drinks refilled. He mixed a sachet of medicine into a glass of pineapple juice before joining them at the booth; since it was a busy night, it meant that there was more smoke in the air and it attacked his throat more ferociously than when it was quiet. His heart sank when he learned that Tyra's friends worked at Team Rocket; it meant that a minor slip-up could get Giovanni on his back again, and that was a most undesirable thought. He'd barely pulled back from another brief kiss when he saw something that stopped his body and sent his mind into a panic; he instantly recognised the back of Jessie's head at the bar, obviously engaged in a brief conversation with his boss, and in spite of wanting to hurt her earlier, he still didn't want to be caught near Tyra. He gathered the empty glasses in his vicinity as he excused himself from his friends, but he casually pointed Jessie out to Tyra, and she immediately understood the message involved with it. He deliberately walked around Jessie to behind the bar and he mentally refused to even face her, let alone talk to her. It was only when Elora said 'Did James do this to you?' that his attention was caught by their conversation, and he felt sorely tempted to scratch out that yes, he had knocked her up, but he was grateful he didn't when Jessie replied that he wasn't that heartless, or at least as far as she knew he wasn't. He served a few customers that now wanted some more drinks, and whilst doing this, he cast a casual glance over to the booth he'd just left and he noticed that Tyra had swapped seats with Lindsey so she could be in the shadowed corner. Much to his insides' disgust, Elora told him to talk to the girl who'd come looking for him, and since snarling out excuses why he didn't want to do it wasn't a highly mature reaction, he settled for demanding what she wanted as he turned to face her.

      His initial reaction was to ask her what had happened to her for her face to be so badly bruised, but instead he settled for asking her if she had something she wanted to talk about. His lack of consideration hurt her far more than he could begin to imagine, and she began to wonder if her best option would be to retreat altogether and face her employer's wrath for her disobedience. He asked her if she wanted anything to drink, and when she requested a vodka and orange, he gave her a plain orange juice and told her that he wasn't going to let her kill their child over her lust for alcohol. He didn't accept her money and he saw the unmistakable look of hatred burning in her eyes as he put it on the bar top right in front of her. She spat out that he wasn't going to have anything to do with her child after the way he'd acted, and the only thing she'd let him have was copies of certificates he'd earn from his education. He shot back that the only way he'd acted carelessly had been in the past when she'd left to fail at a school, and it was her that had the attitude, not him. They began to gather an audience around them as the music had momentarily stopped (much to Elora's great disapproval), and in the heat of their harsh and unnecessary argument, and as a result neither of them noticed an old male emptying the nebulous thyroproxine into Jessie's drink before slinking out unnoticed. He flicked the residue crystals out from underneath his nails on his left hand; he always took particular care with them as he only had three digits on that hand, and he often felt that life would be simpler if he had the other two. He nodded at a group of men in their late teens to early twenties at the far side of the street to indicate that he had successfully spiked her drink, and they took their positions to await the next stage of their malicious plans, and that would only be activated once their toy left the safety of the public tavern. He was more than willing enough to wait, mainly because he was looking forward to sampling the tense atmosphere that such an occasion would undoubtedly cause, and what further satisfaction would he need when all of her disgust and hatred would be channelled solely in his direction for the duration of it all?

      Tyra was becoming more and more afraid of being discovered by Jessie; their paths hadn't crossed since they shared a hospital room, and if she was careful, she could keep it that way. She'd seen her around Viridian City quite a number of times since that horrific occasion at James' abode, yet due to her incredibly judicious actions, she had remained in a non-existent state to the red-head. She didn't want to be seen there, mainly because she would be afraid of the vengeance involved if Lindsey accidentally mentioned she'd slept with him again—after all Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She avoided being sighted by the arguing (which wasn't exactly accurate: Jessie was hissing her remarks out venomously whilst James couldn't have raised his voice without it hurting him, and he was in enough pain as it was) teenagers as she surreptitiously stole out of the edifice, and when she made it out onto the street, Tyra came to a cruel realisation as a few tears escaped from her eyes and splashed onto the grey pavement below her. He'd always want Jessie like he always had when she'd dated him in the past, and when their argument was resolved as she knew it would be, she'd become his cheap regret once more. She loved him with all of her heart, and now that she'd seen the passion in his disagreement with Jessie, she knew immediately that the passion in their love must be double that at least. 'Love truly is the funeral of hearts', she thought bitterly to herself when she thought a harsh break-up buries a love that had previously been very much alive. She noticed a suspicious group of men loitering around with some girls at an alleyway behind the pub on her way back to her flat, but she thought nothing of it; the end of Deryck's life had showed her a brief insight into the world of narcotics and prostitution, so it didn't shock her as it would have done in the past. She knew that as she walked away from that pub, she'd left the part of her that held self-confidence in James' hands, and not necessarily in his heart, and it was knowing this that split her whole being right down the middle, only to be torn up into shreds. She'd lost her soul mate for good.

      Jessie felt like she'd reached her limit at one point in the argument, and she swallowed a single mouthful of her drink before turning to leave, yet something about it didn't taste right. She called him stupid for the countless time in her life, and when he wanted to know what he was being accused of, she said that he'd given her sparkling orange juice when she'd asked for a still orange with vodka. He defended himself by stating that she'd seen him pour a normal orange juice, or at least that's what he would have said if he hadn't trailed off when he caught sight of the glass. He raced around the bar to catch up to her before she left the pub, and as suspected he saw people waiting in the areas where James knew they'd be; he knew their locations from two similar events when he was working for du Paor, and he became tremendously appreciative of the glass being reflective on the outside so he couldn't be seen saving her. He begged her to follow him to the back of the pub without a hint of anger or betrayal in his face; instead, she saw the child-like qualities she used to associate him with had returned, and there was also a worrying amount of panic in his tone as he asked her. Her pride got in her way and she tried to escape his grasp by shrugging violently, but he gripped her tighter and told her that it was important, and he'd explain it to her when they were in private. He was really beginning to frighten her so she nervously complied as a sweat broke out across her back, and though she assumed it was out of terror, it was due to a more serious factor. He snatched her glass off the bar when Jessie had complied with his order without trying to escape, and he explained to Elora to come in to them in a few minutes when things had calmed down at the bar, and he'd reveal his strong suspicions. She was too shocked by his behaviour to be angry regarding his dismissal of his work duties, and conversation broke out when he was out of view about how the other girl must have been venting her anger at him lashing her across the face like that, when they had no idea what had happened.

      When James was guaranteed that they were safely alone together, he placed a strip of white paper over the top of the glass before tipping it over so the liquid ran through the paper, and he began shaking when he saw what he feared: the paper bore a faint shade of amethyst. Jessie thought he'd gone off his rocker when she saw him overreacting over what she thought was orange juice that had been stored too long, and she simply didn't see why he created such a great fuss over it. She declined from asking him when he returned, however, as he carried three heavy blankets and a basin with him, which perplexed her even further. He took his shirt off and told her to wrap herself up properly with them, and upon being asked what the basin was for; he explained the seriousness of the situation she was in regarding the drug she'd been given.

      "You've got a vile enemy, that's for certain. Your drink was spiked with nebulous thyroproxine, and I know that's what it was for a fact from its colour and characteristics. It'll spread through your body when your body temperature lessens three degrees from what it was when you took it, so please tell me if you're feeling anything from the draught caused by you opening the outside door"

      "James I'm hot enough already. Look, I can show you the sweat on my back if you choose not to believe me…"

      "SHIT! It's already in your system—sweat on your back and nowhere else is a symptom. Please tell me you're sweating in other places"

      "N-not as far as I can t-tell. James what's it going to do to me?"

      "Depends on how your body reacts to it. Jessie please vomit into the basin, I know it's an odd request, but I remember that being a way to get it out of your system. Please do it Jessie, or…"

      "Finish that sentence now"

      "Or-or I'll lose both of you"

      "What?"

      "Jessie just please do it. I know it's not the nicest thing to hear, but if you don't do it, you'll definitely lose the child you say I'll have nothing to do with, and you'll probably die"

      "WHAT???"

      "It's hard for me to do this Jessie, but you can't get any cooler and you can't keep it in your system. I can't give you salted water to drink in case it affects the thyroproxine; so you'll have to do it yourself I'm afraid. Think of anything that'll make you nauseous, like me touching you, or anything. I don't want to lose you"

      "Why won't you ring some proper help for me? I can't do this to myself, and the last thing that would make me sick is you. Just hold me please"

      "Jessie I'm serious get it out of your system or our baby will die"

      "I can't James, I'm trying to make myself sick but I can't do it. I'm terrified"

      "Damn it Jessie just try harder. It's hard facing a miscarriage, but it's harder losing both mother and child needlessly"

      "Stop burying me already, I'm still here. Please call me an ambulance"

      "I'm not leaving you, and the phone's upstairs. I'll get Elora to do it, okay?"

      "James I'm frightened"

      "I know you are honey, which is why I can't leave you"

      "What if…"

      "Shhhh, I'm here and I'll stay until you tell me to leave"

      She complained of a parched throat and he sprung up the instant she said it—it was another symptom he'd been dreading, and he went out into the pub to tell Elora to call the paramedics immediately. He ignored the cheers from the crowd at seeing his upper body and he begged her to do it, and he quietly added that he genuinely thought Jessie was going to die. Elora's face lost every hue of colour and she instinctively ordered the other barman on duty to cover for both of them, and before he could protest, she offered him three times as much as he would normally earn for doing the same work. He returned to Jessie's side instantaneously and made sure that she was wrapped up warmly before holding her tightly against his body so she could obtain his heat. She cried continuously with her tears sliding down his abdomen, chilling his skin in their wake, and she gained a large amount of comfort by his movement of running his fingers through her hair. Her body began convulsing and she doubled up in fear and agony, and James fretted as he held the vibration of her trembling form, both of them equally afraid. When the ambulance arrived three minutes later, she was unable to straighten her body, never mind walk, so there were obvious difficulties as she was carried out, as there was when the nurse heard she was on nebulous thyroproxine when they were in the ambulance. James had to go into an uncomfortable depth of his past, and how he'd seen abortions carried out on unwilling women in his teenage years using that drug as an 'anaesthetic' (in reality it intensified the pain, and made the women's body more uncomfortable in the procedure, usually carried out with infected instruments). Regardless of the fact he said it in a very quiet tone, Jessie overheard him and went into hysterics, knowing that her employer was somehow involved with this, yet she didn't want to reveal to James what her job was. She was injected with a strong sedative and she fell into a dreamless sleep within minutes. He refused to let go of her hand until they reached the hospital and they commanded him to wait until she was released from the emergency room, otherwise he would be altogether denied access. He kissed Jessie on her forehead and told her that she loved him before they took her away, and even though he knew she couldn't hear him, he felt better knowing that he'd tried to tell her. He filled out a form containing her medical details, and he apologised to the secretary as he returned the clipboard for his almost illegible writing, but she knew that it was only like that because he was quivering with fear.

      Five hours later, she was wheeled out of the emergency room on a gurney; she looked more fragile than he had ever known and twice as pale, even for her alabaster complexion. He was allowed to stay in a chair beside her overnight, and he openly cried when he was told of the results from their examinations. In spite of thinking of different possibilities for those five hours, he still wasn't expecting to hear it from their mouths, and it seemed like a cruel joke that someone had played on him to tear his life apart.


	6. 25th March, 2001

                                                Sunday, March 25th 2001

      It was half eleven in the morning at a private room in Viridian City hospital when the sedatives finally wore off and Jessie opened her eyes, and the unfamiliarity of her surroundings frightened her beyond redemption. She sat up in bed and her head swung with ill memories of everything she could remember from the night before, and without allowing her to say anything, she broke out in a cold sweat all over her body; due to her intensely low blood pressure she felt in agony. She felt the comforting embrace around her from James, and he ran his hands along her sticky back to try and calm her down, whispering that she was going to be fine. She was still a deathly pale colour and she felt very faint and her vision was clouding rapidly as her breathing became more strained, but nevertheless he was relieved that she was alive, and nothing could draw his attention away from that fact. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead of questions coming out of her mouth, she threw up from the variety of drugs that the medics had pumped through her system to combat the one she'd been fed. Although his arm was now covered in Jessie's vomit, he didn't resent her for it as it was proof she was still with him, and he whispered that he'd ask the nurse for different gown and bedclothes for her, and that he'd return as quickly as possible. She nodded weakly as he left; she still couldn't see properly and felt isolated now that her companion had left her. In spite of knowing that he'd return, she still felt increasingly open to a potential attack from anyone, as she hadn't suspected anybody to spike her drink like they had. She wondered why she couldn't feel any discomfort from the spoilage on her gown, but when she pressed her stiff fingers against her stomach she discovered it was numb, and a cold sense of dread filled her system as she became frantic over her baby. She called out for James, but she couldn't hear his reply over the vicious ringing in her ears as he spoke to her regarding her worrying behaviour, and that was the last she knew as a wave of blackness overcame her.

      Her eyes stung as she awakened, and she was uncertain how long she'd been out cold, whether it was an hour or a day. She was inclined to feel the latter owing to the fact she felt much more stable in herself, and she was glad to see that James was beside her again, rubbing the back of her hand gently with his thumb to soothe her. She noticed that he was now wearing a plain white shirt that looked suspiciously like part of his uniform for the job he'd taken as a chef, and that he looked genuinely worried over her condition. Her preliminary thought was that she must have been out for a few days since he wasn't going to be working there until the beginning of the following week, and she was going to ask him what day it was when he asked her how she felt. She grunted out a response since her mouth was unbearably dry, and he held her again when he was certain she was fully awake. She rested her head against his torso and he felt easier when he saw it was a normal temperature as opposed to the scorching heat it had been before, and he couldn't resist kissing the top of her head. In spite of having enough liquids in her system due to the three intra-venous needles in her arms her, she yearned for a drink. James noticed she was swallowing a lot to ease the dryness in her throat, and he offered to get her some water, and he knew it was what she wanted when she smiled in appreciation. She eagerly guzzled down as much of the water as possible, and though it took away her breath momentarily, she felt much better afterwards and she thanked him heartily. He refused to release her from his caring embrace for the whole time he sat with her (not that she minded) and he was glad that she couldn't read his thoughts that were concentrating on his one-night stand. He wasn't even sure if he could call it that, as it was the second time he'd done it, and to make matters worse it was even with the same person that Jessie despised with a passion. Her ears detected an increase in his pulse, and she didn't say anything about it, wrongly assuming that his concern had only sprouted from her condition. He held her even closer against his body and even without looking at him, she knew that he was crying by his erratic trembling, and to confirm her suspicions, she felt moisture trickle down the back of her neck. She didn't even ask him about what was wrong, part of her didn't want to know, and he came forth and apologised out of his own accord. She didn't understand what was wrong with him and he perplexed her by explaining how sorry he was for sleeping with Tyra; it was water under the bridge as far as she was concerned. She knew it had only been the once as he'd spent every other night with her, and she didn't understand why he was begging for forgiveness at this stage—was it that he'd nearly lost her without knowing whether or not she'd understood his implications that it was the only time he'd been unfaithful? She'd slept with quite a number of other men since their break up, although it was not always willing, so it seemed that she should be the one to be contrite. She closed her eyes and took a minute to decide how to phrase her next sentence without revealing why she took the line of work she did, and without making her sound like a pitiable whore.

      "I know you weren't aware of her job when you did it, and that's the only reason I've been able to exonerate it from my thoughts. The fact is, you did it unwittingly in one sense, and I held it against you for six months. I think it's time we make another fresh start, and this time we don't mention anything that's happened between us, other people or work to make sure it doesn't hurt the other person. Agreed?"

      "You make it sound so simple"

      "We've both done things that we regret, and if I _had_ died last night, we'd have been torn apart from each other without resolving these matters. Pretend you only just met me today"

      "That's going to be a bit hard, and although my imagination could deal with it, logic would just rebound there"

      "What do you mean?"  
      "You're seven months pregnant with my child, so how the hell did that happen if we only just met?"

      "You mean that…**my baby's alive?!**"

      "No, **our** baby is, and during the ultrasound scan you were given last night, we can find out its sex if we want. I didn't want to find it out without you wanting to know too, but I'm able to admit that I cried like a child when I found out you were both going to live"

      "Last night? You mean it's still only Sunday?"

      "Yes, though it's late afternoon now. You were out for most of today, and I was only permitted to stay in here if I promised not to wake you up. I didn't have the heart to anyway, you looked so peaceful"

      "You shouldn't be wearing that shirt this morning, so that was another thing that threw me off. How did you get it, did you leave…?"  
      "No, I left the room twice since you were brought in here: once to tell them your clothes needed changing earlier, and the second was when I got the water for you. I needed to be near you in case anything else happened"

      "Did the shirt just materialise?"

      "No, and there's no way my imagination could believe that! Elora called in this morning to see how you were doing, and after leaving these flowers here she took the keys to my flat to get something for me to wear. I'm glad she did, I was freezing without it"

      "Surely it doesn't hold in much heat?"

      "No it doesn't, but I've been shivering from wearing only the lower half of my uniform all night. If you think on, I put my black one over you last night, and I haven't seen it since you were taken to the emergency room"

      "So, did I throw…?"

      "Up on my bare arm? Yes you did, though I don't mind too much. I'm just glad you're alive"

      "Sorry"

      "I said it's fine, don't worry about it. How do you feel now?"

      "Like I've been crushed by the world, and I've no energy as a direct result of it. I feel completely drained"

      "That's entirely understandable, but I can go to your place and pick up some fresh clothes for you if you like"

      "NO!"

      "Sorry?"

      "I, uh just mean that I'd like to spend more time with you. I should never have left the way I did"

      "I can't argue with you there"

      "I'm sorry, but it's just…"

      "It's in the past, forget about it. But there is one question I need you to answer for me, and I think you know what it's about Jessie"

      "Do we have to do it now?"

      "Fine, I'll ask you later, but it's necessary for me to know the answer though, so you'll have to tell me at some point"

      "I know, I just don't want to do it now. I know what you're going to ask, but please just leave it for now"

      "On a lighter note, they told me you'd be discharged later if your tests come back clear"

      "Let's hope this is the first time I pass an exam in my life, I hate hospitals. Besides, I'll need to get access to a mirror soon!"

                                                                     **

      The minute she entered her business after returning from the hospital, Elora headed straight for the tape that should have recorded the goings on from the night before, in spite of her increased level of exhaustion. Finding it was no great hardship for her, since only one of the cameras would have filmed the area around the bar where Jessie had been standing—she had often required information on a pair of underage thieves that often pick pocketed her customers shamelessly (they had since been imprisoned for said actions). She settled down in front of the monitors with a glass of sparkling water to scan the footage carefully, but she never noticed the presence in the room behind her, and she certainly didn't see that it was the same person that had tried to force Jessie into an abortion. She studied the screen intently, and it was only moments before he put a razor-sharp weapon against her neck that she saw his reflection on the visual display unit, but by that time she was far too late to do anything about it…

      Deep in the mainly unknown areas of the vast city, heated discussions took place between the people that had been deprived of a worthless woman to practice cruel methods of terminating a pregnancy, or at least that was all that Jessie was to them in their opinion. They knew that James was involved with her rescue from both spies and the simple fact that the only way to recognise nebulous thyroproxine before it was too late was from being involved with it yourself; this fact was neither poor nor excellent—it meant that they could easily regain the puppet they once possessed, and it meant that ambush would be the only means capable of capturing them both successfully, should they be together at the given moment in time. Still, this was no great challenge for them since most of their dealings involved warning or reminding people of reasons why their paths should not collide. If they were separate, on the other hand, it would be all-too easy to take them into their possession, due to the young couple's strength lying in each other's presence as it always had been. Leaving their thoughts of kidnapping aside, each member of the evil group was thinking the exact same thing: du Paor would be greatly pleased if they could carry it out successfully, and he'd forget his rage from losing his toy the night beforehand…

_      She felt like she was buoyant high upon mystical air with her flowing blonde tresses brushing lightly against her tantalizing face as she faced the man of her dreams. She released an enthusiastic greeting as she bounded over to fall happily into his embrace, but she was denied this minor luxury as he sidestepped her eager attempt for a show of affection. Large cold, sloppy tears brooded in her amethyst eyes that pleaded for an explanation whilst she viewed him like an injured pet would to its master, and instead of comforting her, Butch mouthed 'I can't love you' before pointing downwards. She screamed as she plummeted through cumulus and nimbus clouds alike in her arduous descent. Her mouth filled with a thick, bitter-tasting liquid that was unknown to her, and in spite of her weak insides and blinding panoramic spinning images throughout her collapse, the feisty young blonde kept her eyes open to defy her rejecter, and she hoped to sustain this level of sanity as the images seemed more surreal to her. She landed in the black tumultuous icy water and faced the wrath of the storm full-blast as she screamed for assistance to shore. Even if there had been someone at hand to assist the susceptible female, her voice was carried out far into the ocean by the merciless blasting wind, and the black clouds lashed her face again and again with their hard precipitation acting as many weapons all at once. A thundering stretch of typhoon carried her out of the torturous water and she smacked her back hard into a tree that was already buckling against the strength of the airstreams, and she slid down the trunk and into the sand. The many evil shards of broken wood tore into her spine throughout her brief journey relentlessly, and she wanted to scream as she landed face-down in the sand: she had nothing except a thin layer of skin covering her ribs and she was a good few inches lower than she should be. Much to her horror, the murky sand dragged her farther and farther into its being, and foul sand joined the venomous liquid that already was in her mouth, creating a concoction that she wouldn't even wish on her worst enemies as the sound of the storm was replaced with the pouring of sand into her ears…_

      Cassidy shot up from her hell-spawned nightmare with her pulse tenfold what it should be, and her weak heart was battering at her ribcage as it attempted to find a way out of her tormented body. Her eyes anxiously darted around the room, trying to recognise a face amongst the many that attempted smothering her with medicines, and Butch frightened her when he held her against his torso to calm her down. She strangled a scream out through the blood that had gathered in her mouth, both to get away from him after he had treated her in her reverie, and also as a sickening realisation thumped into her head: her dream had been correct when it had portrayed her without breasts, and she moved no more after that. He knew something was wrong as she looked into the distance with an expression of terror with her arms still tight around his shoulders, but there was no sign of movement from her aside from the thick blood oozing out of her mouth. Butch shouted her name repeatedly, each time with an increased number of decibels, but it was futile as everyone in the room knew, and he wept solemnly as he was ushered out of the room by the scientists: why had he failed to tell her how he'd felt all these years? He didn't need to hear their diagnosis two hours later, and when he did hear it he felt like he'd been stripped of his skin and being forced to roll around in a vat of salt. She had died of a heart attack that was induced by the splintered ribs puncturing her pulmonary artery, hence the blood in her mouth, and her body's panicked reaction had caused her to wake from her coma. They thought that the pain of her injuries overrode the aphrodisiacs, and she had suffocated from not receiving oxygen, which had inadvertently created the heart attack. His hands shook with sorrow and fury simultaneously as they proceeded with the exact grisly details of her pain that she would have endured, and a grim thought exploded in his heavily grief-stricken head: the person that had done this to her would pay, and if he couldn't track him down, then he'd find someone else responsible for making the woman he'd secretly loved look grotesque in death.

      Despites his body's aching yearning to fall asleep, James refused to close his eyes for anything longer than a short blink, knowing that sleep's temptation was becoming overwhelming at this point after being up for over twenty-four hours at this stage. Jessie abetted his desire to stay awake by teasing his inability to think clearly, and he decided whole-heartedly to succeed just to prove her wrong. He was greatly relieved to have her in the realms of the living after the heart-wrenching affairs of the night before, and he was even more grateful that she was gradually becoming fully revived as the medication wore off her system. Many doctors had entered and left the room to monitor her condition, but nothing had been mentioned about the likelihood of her being discharged, or regarding their child's welfare. She playfully brushed a strand of hair behind his ear as his eyes fought to stay open, and she kissed him lightly in appreciation when he gave her a warm and affectionate smile. She could see his dire need of sleep and she felt selfish for keeping him awake, as she feared the prospect of being left alone in even the slightest meaning of the word. She also dreaded leaving the undeniable security that the busy hospital offered, and even though she was afraid of being caught lying to her employers beforehand, she felt frantic as she fretted over what would happen if they saw her now. She somehow successfully concealed this inner turmoil from her sleepy partner and replaced it with a half-façade of one of total pleasure in his company, and a doctor entering the room with a loose grip on her chart ended their miniature game.

      "Don't be alarmed at my presence, I'm merely here to inform you of the results of the tests. Are you comfortable with discussing this in front of your partner?"

      "Undoubtedly. Is there anything to worry about?"

      "I bear both good and bad news, so which do you want first?"

      "Bad? Is my baby okay?"

      "That's the bad news, I take it you want to hear that ahead of the other then?"

      "Sure, but tell me if my baby's going to be alright"

      "Your baby will live through this, but there's the possible side-affects of the thyroproxine to consider. It's trebled the risk of premature pregnancy, and there's a high risk of your child being slightly deformed. If you experience any type of abdominal discomfort inform us immediately, it's crucial that we can attend to it immediately if you do, as it means the chemical is removing your placenta from the lining of the womb, and if blood gathers there, it could be doubly fatal"

      "WHAT?"

      James held her tighter against his body, sensing her distress in ways evident to him aside from her shrill panic-powered screech (her taut muscles were a dead giveaway for starters) and his worry equalled hers, even though he kept it concealed. He felt her body quaking in fear as she awaited her reply, and she gained little relief out of being told that there was nearly no chance of it happening; in her mind that small percentage was as worrying as a towering risk. Jessie became frantic with worry when she heard what the doctor had to say next, as it seemed more horrific than the thought of what could have happened the night before.

      "We could always feed you a drug that would terminate your pregnancy if that idea seems more appealing to you, but there's more threats interlinked with that as you're past the safe zone for such an…"

      "THERE IS NO WAY I'M KILLING MY CHILD, YOU CALLOUS BI--"

      "Jessie, calm down, she's just doing her job"

      "Calm down? She just wanted to know if I'd make an appointment with death on my baby's behalf"

      "Jessie, there are people far weaker in the world who would have accepted that option, but you're prepared to face whatever hits you"

      "And you?"  
      "Me?"  
      "Are you going to bother sticking around if I have a hideous deformed…_thing_…inside of me?"

      "I can't believe you're even asking me that. In my opinion, there isn't a question of me walking away at any stage, even if you give birth to something as ugly as the twerps"

      "Yuck! Nothing could be that bad!"

      "Excuse me, but are you finished, or would you like me to return in a while?"

      "Sorry about that doctor, she gets like this every now and again. Please continue"

      "Assuming that you don't want to terminate this pregnancy, you're free to leave at any stage. Would you like to know the sex of your child?"

      A quick glance between the parents-to-be confirmed their suspicions that they felt the same over the matter, and they simultaneously asked:

      "What is it?"

      Their hands gained an intense increase in the grip they were using in the few seconds before they learned what they yearned to know, and they burst out into an instantaneous cry when they were told to expect a girl. When they were left alone again, their excitement erupted into an explosion of gleeful questions and comments from both sides.

      "I'm having a girl!"

      "I wonder if she'll look like her mother"

      "Just as long as I don't know two effeminate blue-haired…"

      "Oh come on, you know that I make a better girl than you do!"

      "That's not true!"

      "Yes it is, you're not delicate enough and pick fights instead of avoiding them, and never mind lady-like!"

      "I resent that, I'm a woman anyway"

      "I know, I was the one to do it remember?"  
      "You expect me to forget?"

      "Well, since woman makes you sound so old, I thought it had the same effect on your memory…"

      "Are you calling me old?"

      "Are you denying it?"  
      "Yes!"

      "You're wrong then, must be another symptom"

      "You're so going to pay for that!"

      "It's your fault for not letting me fall asleep!"

      "Sure, blame the pregnant one!"

                                                                                **

      The attitude in Team Rocket Headquarters was that of an utterly morose one, bearing no exceptions of any member. The death of a young colleague had struck a chord in every person's body, even those who didn't know her that well—it was more so the fact that she hadn't reached twenty, and that had been when she wasn't partaking in life-threatening field missions. Giovanni had left strict instructions with his secretary to ignore every appointment previously arranged with his staff for that afternoon whilst he slowly drank a bottle of whiskey in his sombre mood; it was probably for the benefit of his unfortunate workers that he had no desire to see them whilst he mourned the loss of a close friend. There were too few of them in his life as it was. For the very first time in his life, he actually felt guilty for a staff member's premature demise; if he'd asked her to perform experiments on the subject without staying around for the results, then her life would never have been in any danger. He knew it was pointless even thinking that, as Cassidy would have continued defiantly; she was one of three people in the organisation who could go against his wishes and live. The other two people were the scientific and technological genius, Lindsey, and the second person was Jessie. Granted, she no longer served as a member as such, but he knew that there'd be a time when she'd return. He didn't know was not just how soon that would happen, he didn't know just how drastic the circumstances involving her return would be. He snarled at the now empty bottle of whiskey before him, and in his anger for not having more, he squeezed the tumbler in his hand until it shattered into a thousand shards. His designer suit was laced with a thin layer of the potent liquid as well as microscopic fragments of glass, and he growled menacingly as he brushed them off whilst retrieving another bottle from the coolant in his private quarters. One would think that he was some form of modern caveman due to the Neolithic noises emanating from his throat every other minute. His inner sanctum was disrupted moments later when the door flew open, aided by a vicious kick given to it by Tyra. He angrily demanded to know why she was present without permission, and before she even had sufficient time to answer he had thrown the empty bottle at her. He wrenched the top off its replacement and guzzled a mouthful of it neat before facing her to see what the reason for her passing his security so easily was.

      It was like watching a hunter prowling towards its prey, but this time the prey wasn't as timid as expected, far from it in fact. It was more like she was squaring him off, her taunting eyes raucously screaming 'Bring it on' to her aggressor, and he actually felt doubt regarding him being able to subdue her fiery aura. She denounced him for his foul tactics surrounding bugging her just to make Jessie have a miscarriage, and something happened that neither of them expected: Giovanni became pale at hearing this news. His anger instantly diminished, and was it _concern_ that made him ask for further details on the accusations? Tyra held her ground; there was no point in losing her edge in case his was nothing more than a mere ploy, and she held her stance as she gruffly explained the details of everything Lindsey had told her. Her eyes stung from rejection as well as from anger, and it was only her august detestation of Giovanni that prevented her from activating her tear ducts. When he heard of what exactly had happened the night before, he returned more to his natural character and ordered her to round up the couple in question. She scoffed in disgust at the notion of listening to his orders exiting the office, and the echoes of her boots crunching the glass into sand echoed around the tension-packed room, and when he released an unusually idle threat about what would happen to her, she released her own weapon. She tossed the second bug back into the room, and not even the panic that flooded through her system could make her turn around when the miniscule metallic object collided on the freshly polished tiles. She'd snapped the wrong leg back on it, which unbeknownst to her had activated it, and her exit was 'explosive' to say the very least. Since the orders to vacate the premises unless it was urgent had been issued out to all of the members, there wasn't any security to silence her, and she left the building with only a handful of onlookers to assist Giovanni out of the inferno/office. It was a pity that the alcohol on his clothes was highly flammable.

      She crossed the road a few minutes later when the horrendous traffic had lessened, and much to her heart's dismay, she saw James walking in her general direction. She changed the route she was walking in and lowered her head in an attempt to avoid him seeing her, and she was successful until she tried to head down a quiet side street. He turned her around and effortlessly held her against a shop wall in a way that not only blocked her movements, but it also refrained it from looking suspicious. He cut her pathetic endeavour at a greeting short by pressing down harder on her pressure point. She winced slightly as he asked what the hell she was playing at, more so from the words than from the pressure being applied to her shoulder.

      "I didn't see you, I was just off to, er…"

      "Cut the crap, and I'm not talking about now"

      "What then?"

      "You know what it's about"

      "Look, if it's about last night, I left because I couldn't stand the sight of you two together, it brought back too many memories of when we went out"

      "You haven't changed one little bit you selfish slattern"

      "Selfish what?"

      "And just as ignorant as ever it would seem. You can pull whatever excuses you like 'darling', but I know why you left, and it wasn't out of self-pity"

      "You can accuse me all you like, but I had nothing to do with what happened to Jessie"

      "So you admit you knew about it. Am I still supposed to believe that you had nothing to do with it?"

      "I only found out about it today when Lindsey had listened to…"

      "Yes?"

      "Nothing"

      "Now is not the time to clam up, do you understand? What do you know that I don't?"

      "You-you're bugged"

      "What did you just say? I hope for your sake that it wasn't what I thought it was"

      "You're being recorded, even now"

      "You worthless whore, and you never thought to tell me? Scratch that, how did you find out about it? I know she used to work with Team Rocket, but if she still does, then there's no way you could talk to her, unless…"

      "Yeah, I worked there, okay? I resigned today"

      "Is there no end to your scheming? Did you put it on me?"

      "Y-y-yes"

      "Where is it, you vile excuse for a human?"  
      "I'm not telling you, if you can't talk to me properly"

      "And no manners either, is there no end to your slovenly behaviour? You were probably the one to spike her drink too, weren't you? I mean, you weren't there when I found it, so it could have easily been you who put it in her drink when you left"

      "I didn't do it"

      "Where's your proof? Did you manage to bug that too?"  
      "Do you think I could really do that to you?

      "As far as I'm concerned, you haven't changed one little bit since last year; you still deploy the same fetid manoeuvres since the last time you used me"

      "If anyone was used it was me, so don't delude yourself she-male. You always went to me when Jessie ignored you, and this is no different. You've hated me after sleeping with me twice now, and there's no point in denying it"

      "You're nothing more than a pathetic concubine to me, and I can't believe that I used to think that you could ever turn out to be something more. The next time our paths cross, trust me you'll rue it"

      James let go of the woman and ignored her tears sliding onto his forearm, and he either didn't know or care that he'd cut off circulation in both of her arms. He stalked off to Holbany Street, where Jessie's flat was apparently located, to pick up her belongings. He didn't know anything about it except the building and room number, but it was enough for him to want to get in and out of there as quickly as possible—it was located in one of the most dangerous areas of the city, and it was where he had grown up, in more than one sense of the word. It had been the general area where he'd seen women raped, lackeys mutilated, and the murder that had drawn him into the circle of fear in the first place. He felt aghast at the size of her dwelling, and the dank conditions from which it suffered. He gathered as much of her belongings up as he could that he thought she wanted, unaware that his every move was being monitored by someone else in the small flat. Once or twice the youth ineffectively glanced over his shoulder to see if he was being spied on, but he decided that it was mere paranoia triggering his thief's instincts; after all, the last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the past he'd fought to avoid for so long. When he was done with the place, he pocketed the keys and left the area altogether, as he disliked the feeling of suspicion repeatedly drumming inside his blood. When he was in a more reputable sector of the city, he headed towards an automatic teller machine to withdraw enough money for paying his fiancée's medical bill; he'd needed to book her into a private room to make sure the evil shadows tainting his past didn't latch themselves onto her when she was critically ill. He was inwardly delighted when he read the remaining balance in the account; it was more than enough to buy somewhere cheap away from the City Of Dreams that had destroyed theirs. He'd never ventured deep into Viridian Forest after the horrific incident revolving around finding Weezing grotesquely defaced (literally) in a cardboard box, and that was just one bad memory that sprung to mind. He would have gone around to the medical centre to see if the doctor knew anything about someone trying to force Jessie into a Backstreet abortion, but he found the idea of it completely unbelievable, and there would be no point in kicking up a fuss that may cost a friend his career for no apparent reason. Instead he hurried back to ensure that nobody had evaded the security surrounding Jessie's ward that he had insisted on in his absence, even if it wouldn't come cheaply.

      Several hours after receiving the news about his partner's demise, Butch returned to bid his final farewell, and to tell her what he could never say when she was still alive. She was unhooked from all of the machinery and her eyes were closed, in other words the scientists had tried to make her look merely asleep for his benefit. Even though his body was pumped with sedatives, he still felt as easy as a caffeine-filled narcoleptic at the edge of a volcanic crater. His unrestrained tears splashed onto her emotionless face, and as he held her fragile hand in his own, he was glad that the scientists had left the heating on to make her feel less cold and stiff. He gushed out all of the sentiments that had remained unheard for the duration of his time knowing her (it seemed unearthly easier to say the words when the fear of rejection was removed), and he stayed with her for what appeared to be aeons to other people, yet it passed in an instant for the grieving male. He was delivered a final request to depart the premises before he reluctantly decided to move away from his friend forever more. He leant forward and gave her the kiss he had always yearned for, except this method would be one-way. He whispered goodbye and crossed the floor to leave his friend, each footstep creating a discomfortingly loud _snap_ as the sole pressed harshly down on the custom tiling for hospitals. He switched off the light and after a final glance at his partner, he turned to walk down the hallway and out of the god-rotting building. Either his imagination was overacting, or the sedatives were making him delusional, but in either case he could have sworn he heard a faint noise coming from the room he had just exited. Nevertheless, he re-entered the room and checked the dark area to see if it had been a rodent that had made the noise, and he nearly collapsed in shock when he left again and heard an unmistakable:  
      "Sure, you turn the light off but you leave the window open. It's freezing in here"

      He flicked the light switch on immediately, and his body vibrated with ecstatic convulsions when he saw his partner wincing in the light. He called for help and as he waited for an assistant to return, the joyous youth peeled off his upper clothing and laid them on top of the chilled weary female. It was an unbelievable event for him, to say the least. And Giovanni wouldn't be happy in the slightest to find out that Tyra had been given an ample opportunity to set fire to him when the aspect of his misery had been a mistake by the scientists…

      James had been granted the evening off work due to the given circumstances surrounding what had happened in the pub the night before, and much to Elora's dismay, he handed in his notice simultaneously. She had been indisputably upset at losing her finest barman (again, in more than one sense to her), and when he'd told her that he intended moving out of the city with his fiancée, he could only console her by offering her their address or general location whenever they chose it. She couldn't bring herself to tell him what she had been threatened with earlier that afternoon, and she was relieved that he didn't ask for the security tape. He noticed the vicious scratch along the nape of her neck from where the weapon had been resting, and he joked that she must have cut herself shaving, instead of voicing his anxiety that she was in a violent relationship or something. It had been a hard goodbye for him to make, yet it was light-hearted as he was asked to perform a dance by some girl since it was her friend's birthday, and it was only when he shut the door behind him that he realised that the person who'd asked him had been the one he'd 'drunkenly' stripped for in September. But right now, there was only one woman in his life that he cared about, and she was waiting for him in his flat.


	7. 26th March, 2001

                                                Monday, March 26th 2001

      Jessie felt content when she woke up next to her fiancé; when they'd returned to his flat from the hospital the evening before, there had been a few letters stored for James that he never bothered collecting, and one of them had been his results for the blood test he'd done. He told her to open it whenever she wanted before heading off to the Silver Bullet to resign, and when he'd come back, the grin evident on her face made it clear to him that they'd been positive and she wanted what he'd been depriving her of for the last week. He deprived her no more. She was glad she was first awake, since the time presented to her to do some thinking was sufficient, even though she didn't like what she needed to dwell on at that time. She knew that James wanted to leave the city that day, which she had no problems with, and she was trying to imagine where they could live together in an area that was well out of danger for them. She also hated the thought of being spied on when they finally made their escape; she'd never heard of a successful break away from the dark circle she was contained in, bar James, and that was only because he'd been left for dead when the authorities went by or something. She didn't know the exact details but she bore no intentions on asking him what had happened all those years ago. She fought against the urge to giggle when her baby delivered another kick to the lining of her womb; it felt painful and amusing at the same time, and the reason she wanted to laugh was to vent the torment that had been steadily building up in her system. She conquered her desire since she didn't want James to wake up yet, and the more she reflected on the opportunity of leaving the city she hated, the more she felt like they were going to take a positive step into the right direction. She released a shiver in spite of all the sources of heat surrounding her; her boyfriend's body heat (he was sweltering from the three blankets she'd wanted the night before), said blankets, and she even slept in a slip. Well, that didn't really contain much heat due to its diaphanous effect, but it was still an article of clothing as far as she was concerned. She felt her partner move slightly in his sleep and she ensured that she didn't move again for a few minutes, and naturally every cell in her body was screaming for her to move, merely because she wasn't allowing herself to do so. She'd been quite lucky throughout her pregnancy thus far; she hadn't suffered from nausea, never mind morning sickness, and mucus plus other unpleasant factors had been kept minimal. In fact, she had barely believed she was with child when she was late, and she just assumed that it was some adverse affect from repeatedly not eating enough when she'd done fieldwork in Team Rocket. She'd travelled from disbelief to fear in a few short weeks seeing that nowhere would employ an outlawed pregnant woman, and from there she had gone into a world that she hated. Now she felt like all of that was behind her, and nothing really mattered since she had her lover back at her side, and he'd save her from whatever threatened their future. It is such a shame that hopes don't always transform into reality, especially in this particular couple's case.

      Butch was on the warpath when his sedatives finally wore off, and not one of the scientists felt safe in his presence after his reaction the night before; he'd known his partner was dead and yet he wanted to stay with her all night—was he perhaps devoted to some form of necrophilia? They'd restrained him on an examination table until he was almost overflowing with morphine, and they were afraid to approach him to unlock his manacles now that he was awake. His muscles and tendons were still immobile, and he took this opportunity of perpetual weakness to irately reflect on what had happened after paying heed to the final request to leave the room that had been broadcast over the intercom. He'd left the room and upon detecting a noise behind him, he returned to check the room one last time. He'd switched the light on and seen his partner wincing at the bright light, and then he'd covered her up with his upper clothing to remove the death chill from her body, and ecstatically called for assistance. It was this point where everything turned pear shaped for the star-crossed young man. He held his best friend in his arms tightly (he thought the feeling of hugging her without the usual few inches of flesh between them was sickening) and animatedly whispered to her:

      "Oh my gods how are you here? No that's not what I meant to say…I thought I'd lost you, I'm so glad you're here. You really worried me when they said that you'd…"

      "That's all?"  
      "Cass, I'm flooded with emotion here, I'm speechless. Do you know how they revived you?"  
      "What do you think? Idiot"

      "Of course you don't…I agree, how stupid of me to ask. How are you feeling?"

      "Are you going to bother me with questions the whole time you're here? If you are, then leave"

      "No, I promise that I won't, I'm just worried about you, that's all. I'm glad you made it, though I doubt you'll thank the doctors when you see…"

      "Are you just obsessed with how I look? I personally have no problem with the split down my face, or the plastic on the part of my body wherever it was removed from to fill it a bit. Are you missing my breasts so much that you hate touching me like this? I can see it in your eyes"

      "I'll get over it, it's just weird feeling you like this. Isn't it strange for you?"

      "You'd rather I had a normal body wouldn't you? Is this better?"

      She frightened him as she pushed him away from her body, but without using her hands. Somehow her chest had returned to its usual status after the drastic surgery she underwent, and the sudden unexpected force backwards hurt his torso in a way that he could not liken to anything else. His shocked expression removed the necessity for him to voice yet another question to piss her off with, and when he eventually stuttered out 'How…?' she punched him backwards with a strength she shouldn't possess at any stage, never mind the condition she was in now. He was momentarily winded from the unforeseen blow she'd delivered to his solar plexus, and something confounding happened when he heard a scientist returning to the room—or rather, what he thought was a scientist. Instead, he saw a minor fleet of bodyguards that had been sent to restrain him after his blatant refusal to leave the premises. He screamed to be left alone with Cassidy (the phrase that ignited the necrophilia insinuations), and when they looked at the bed it was as they had left it—made and empty. The woman he was referring to was located in a metal box in the mausoleum until formal arrangements regarding her funeral had been completed. Butch knew that he hadn't been hallucinating, but he couldn't see a trace of evidence showing that she'd been there except for the slight stinging along his abdomen. The guards decided that if they released him onto the streets, as initially intended, he could prove to be a liability to the organisation, and ultimately their jobs could be at stake. The only scientist willing to go near the restrained enraged male on a spare examination table was a cocky medical student, and he took great pleasure in injecting a substantial amount of morphine into him. Even in his sleeping state, his face was etched with torment and anguish.

      Now he was awake and any serene feelings that had spread in his body had splintered away, leaving an exposed and frustrated boy in its wake. His strength was no match for the sturdy straps that imprisoned his fatigued limbs, and evil images of Cassidy arguing with him flashed through his troubled skull like a piece of elasticised string. It felt like a thousand pound weight was atop his head as he wrenched his neck upwards slightly and glanced at the barely furbished room. The only noise he could detect was that of the scientists, and due to the dullness of the level, they sounded as if they were nowhere near his room. He released a short bark of terror as he turned his gaze back towards the ceiling; leaning over his body to greet him was Cassidy, and the same self-possessed smile played across her badly mutilated face. His eyes widened in terror as he wondered whether or not he was hallucinating again from the powerful drug. He shut his eyes and exhaled slowly and began counting to twenty until she cut him off at four by the supposed cadaver closing her lips over his. He reopened his startled eyes and watched her carefully as she broke off her tender kiss, but her attention was clearly divided, and he soon realised what that source of distraction was.

      Cassidy was by his side in an instant, and any sign of distemper had vanished from her face, only to be replaced with one of delight. Butch felt dizzy as he tried lifting his head to watch them for longer than approximately two minutes, and he felt disgust at enduring the sight of the woman he loved acting like putty for the other presence in the room.

      "Wonderful, isn't she?"

      "Wh-what do you mean? She's not a bit of property, she's…"

      "Silence. He can call me what he likes" 

      "B-but Cass—"

      "I said be quiet, and don't interrupt him again"

      "As I was saying, isn't she wonderful? A beauty that can defy death and recreate what scientists stole from her. A woman that can hold more power in her grasp than any living creature can; a woman who isn't really here"

      As he said the final words of his sentence, she vanished in a second like she had done the night before, and Butch was terrified as he frantically sought for a solution to his question of what was real and what was not. Anger pulsed through his livid body as the other male released an evil laugh at the youth's mystification, and Butch at the brink of tears as he wondered whether or not his best friend was alive. The fact that his senses were perpetually dulled as a side effect from the aphrodisiac didn't help him in the slightest either.

      Jessie eventually became bored of having to endure her thoughts as a source of company and nothing else, so she poked her lover in his ribs until he snapped from the secure grasps that slumber had latched around him. He mock-growled at her before lightly pressing her body beneath his in the midst of a passion-hungry kiss—an act to show that he could dominate her easily (the only problem was it made them both feel like repeating the events from the night before). Both felt reluctant to withdraw from their activity, yet it was surprisingly Jessie who chose to concede, her excuse being that the baby kicking her had momentarily killed the mood for her. He moved off her and they nestled together as she ignored the minor discomfort that her presently overactive baby was creating for her. Her nerves were tingling as he held her against his body, and even though she was at the height of her happiness, she somehow felt hollow; in total contrast to the enjoyment she got out of lying next to her lover, it made her realize how pathetic her flings over the previous months appeared. James could instinctively tell that something wasn't right with her, and when asked if she was upset over something, she just denied it and blamed the threatening tears on her chaotic hormones. He knew something was wrong with her, but he decided that it would probably be for the best if he didn't pursue the matter. He was still trying to forget that she'd nearly died a couple of nights beforehand, and he dreaded to think what might have happened to her if she'd left the pub in her bad mood the other night, as well as trying to forget that he'd betrayed her trust the one night he'd slept alone since they'd been reunited. She snapped herself out of her trance-like state and gave her lover another kiss before she asked him when he was due to go to work.

      "I'm not keen on the idea of leaving you alone"

      "I'm a big girl, I can manage on my own for a few hours. Besides, I can use the time to start packing your things"

      "Are you sure you want to leave? I hope I haven't forced you into that idea, because if…"

      "You haven't, and do you really think that I want to let our child grow up in this dump? We both hate this city, so why should it have to endure it when it's born?"

      "That's what I'm thinking, but I just wanted to be positive you felt the same way"  
      "So when are you due to start work? You didn't answer me"

      "In half an hour, but I ignored the idea; I thought I'd skip my last day to pay my boss back for all the times he's made me scrape out the oven…"

      "No, you're going in and going to get your pay back; I don't remember you being rich enough to skip money being paid out. I'll be fine, so just get ready and go. Don't worry, okay?"

      "Do I have a choice in the matter?"

      "Do you ever?"  
                                                                         **

      James had left in his uniform seventeen minutes later, but not to go directly to work. He'd intended calling into the building anyway, but he had a few more important issues to contend with first. He entered Team Rocket Headquarters without the same level of fear he would have suffered from months ago, but he still felt uneasy when he recalled the last time he'd set foot in the building; he'd been beaten up and publicly humiliated because of Jessie's near-betrayal, not to mention what finding Weezing a couple of hours beforehand had done to his mettle. There were no guards protecting the entrance so he had no trouble in gaining admission, so the first part of his plan had easily been completed. He strode with great animosity towards the reception desk, and to gain the drowsy receptionist's attention, he smacked the magazine out of her hand and prised her forwards by means of grabbing her collar. Lindsey looked surprised but didn't lose sight of the method available to her to reverse the situation. She swung her hands between his wrists and intended to compel them off her clothing, but he anticipated this move and avoided her attack with ease.

      "Get off me you cheating scum"

      "How about…no"

      "I mean it, get off me now"

      "Or what?"

      "It doesn't involve me"

      "What doesn't?"

      "Who you sleep with; if you have a problem, sort it out with…"  
      "This isn't about Tyra. It's about me being bugged and I want to know where. You can deny it all you like but I know you're listening to every move I make"

      "And what are you going to do to make me remove it, huh? If you want me to leave it there, you're going the right way about it"

      "I don't care if I kill you, but you're going to tell me where it is, and failure to do so could result in things turning extremely nasty"

      "I'm not afraid of you"

      "I never said you had to be"

      With an unexpected movement, he had pulled her completely over the bureau and locked her in an unbreakable grip with one arm as he fluidly stretched behind the reception desk to claim her hand pistol. He pressed it against her head and reminded her that he had no problems in killing her to try and coax her into helping him, but she adamantly snarled that she'd rather die than allow his life to become any easier. By putting his knee against her back and forced her away from his body, he succeeded in dislocating both of her arms due to the strength his arm binding hers had maintained. He kept the pistol pointed at her unwaveringly as he claimed her position behind the computer. His skills were nowhere near as deft as hers, but he was still capable of smashing into the computer mainframe's supposedly top-secret files to try and gain the knowledge he wished to obtain. He found his file and whilst ignoring the content describing his ability to work, he located the transmission source, but it didn't help him in the slightest. He overrode the commands and replaced the codes in an advanced computer language that Lindsey would never have heard of—it was one advantage to having relations that specialised in cryptography when he was growing up. He picked the trembling woman up by her shoulder to add more pain when he was finished ruining the technology for Team Rocket, and it was only then that he noticed Giovanni's office was completely burned out. He mentally snickered at the sight of the incinerated room (It accounted for the lack of security visible in the area), but he hadn't quite finished in the large building yet. He solidified his grip on her arm to invoke more pain on the woman as he dragged her in the direction opposite to the entrance hall, and he took what he had initially entered the building for without any great distraction. When he was ready to leave with the object in a bag, he tossed the pistol aside and pushed the young woman back into a wall to relocate her shoulders and he strode out of the edifice with an odd sense of satisfaction. He never noticed the screams for help steadily growing in pitch of a supposed madman emanating from the hospital sector, and even if he had, he wasn't certain if he would return to there again for any reason.

      Butch was terrified; his company kept showing him 'Cassidy', but she disappeared moments later if it sounded like medics were in the area, and he wasn't certain if he was hallucinating because of the morphine, or if he was transfixed in some surreal alternative universe. Unfortunately for him neither option was the correct answer, and the other person in the room was perpetually taunting him with what he thought to be the love interest of his life. When he'd finally yelled himself hoarse, his tormentor finally revealed the truth to the terrified young man, and although it was interlaced with lies, it was comforting for Butch to know that he wasn't imagining the whole thing.

      "As you must probably be able to assume, a real woman of Cassidy's size and condition would not be able to vanish from your vision quite as quickly as she somehow is managing to do, correct?"

      "What have you done with her?"

      "Correct?"  
      "Yes, now wha--"

      "She's not really able to do it, and if you cooperate with me, I'll show you how she does it. But first, you have to promise to do me a favour if you hear your explanation"

      "It depends on the task"  
      "If you want to see Cassidy again, you'll agree with my terms, regardless of what their consistence is, now do you accept?"

      "Yes"

      "Sorry? What did you say?"

      "I SAID YES, NOW TELL ME"  
      "The Cassidy you are seeing before you is not the one you've worked with, nor is she the one you love. If you did love her, you would have noticed immediately that this is an impostor"  
      "But, how can any human do what she did? And where is my real Cass?"

      "Save your questions until the end. As I was explaining, no human is capable of this lovely creature before me, correct? Her purpose is to act in whatever manner you want her to, and she is loyal—a perfect woman. But of course, perfect women don't exist. They can't go for two minutes without bitching about something, or listing off your flaws mercilessly in public"

      "Your point being?"

      "This is merely a shell of a woman—she is in fact a ditto, that has undergone a serious quantity of tests for Giovanni in the name of 'science'. She can assume into any breathing creature, including humans, and have all of their memories, traits, strengths, weaknesses…but she can use her own powers to enhance these. She needs but a nanosecond of flesh-to-flesh contact"

      "Great, but what does this have to do with me getting Cassidy back?"

      "If you do something for me, I'll let you see your beloved for as long as you want. Are you going to comply with my side of the bargain first?"

      "All right. What do I have to do then?"

                                                                          **

      Jessie's mind was spinning with reasons for her to be excited about the forthcoming move whilst she was in the midst of folding away some of James' belongings, but she was distracted from them when a sudden and previously unfelt pain raged through her stomach. She doubled up and spent so much energy to trying to reduce the feeling that she held no ability to prevent the tears from gliding out of her tightly squeezed eyes, and she wished she'd lessened her haste to send James to work. She felt moisture seeping through the seat of her jeans and it made her even more frantic with fear, and whereas she had hated her child the other day, she wanted more than anything for it not to be a miscarriage she was suffering from at the present. Her body trembled so rapidly that she appeared to be squatting against a vibrating bed, and without any indication of a warning, the pain vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving a very confused and petrified young woman in its wake. When her shaking was less erratic, she moved her right hand between her legs, and a pulsing surge of relief poured out of her system when she saw that the unwanted moisture didn't contain any specks of red, indicating that she wasn't about to give birth prematurely. She leant back against the side of the bed and exhaled deeply in exoneration to herself for the nasty thoughts she'd brewed regarding her baby's welfare, but her actions caused James' wallet to fall off the bed—it must have fallen out of his jacket pocket when he'd left that morning. Curiosity took over her fragile body and she opened it to look at his various cards; she found herself admiring his distinctly chiselled features in each picture, since most of their previous fake picture forms of identification had been nothing short of something escaped from a comedy film, yet in these he looked extremely handsome to her. She noticed that he'd also hidden a few pictures of her (they had obviously been cherished since an early age, due to the times they'd been taken) where credit cards should be kept, and she felt moved that he'd done that. She'd always imagined it was only sentimental old men that did it for some reason. The high figure that totalled the money in his wallet seemed outstanding to her, since she didn't think he could have earned all that much in a pub and a restaurant, but obviously she was mistaken. What she didn't know was almost thirty percent of his daily earnings came from young women and occasionally a young male giving him tips as well as their phone numbers (he'd never even read the name of whoever was flirting with him due to his detestation of trivial conversations, especially with drunk women he didn't know). There were a few worthless pieces of paper scrunched into the very last pocket in it, mainly receipts and the like, but she discovered that it was where he tended to keep their contraception.

      It was only when she was putting the contents back into the pocket when something struck her like a shower of ice; if he'd been chaste for the six months like he'd claimed, then why did he have condoms on his person before she'd told him the results? And why did the purchase date on the outer packaging say the packet of three had been bought three days beforehand, when he hadn't been speaking to her for twenty-four hours? But most importantly, why was there only one remaining, when he'd slept with her for the first time in their reunion the night before—where was the missing one? She dropped the wallet as nausea rebuilt its way through her already weakened body, and the same hateful thought kept springing through her mind: he's had it off with someone, but who? A waitress? A barmaid? His boss who'd gone to the hospital to see them? It was the most likely conclusion; since she knew that Flora or whatever her name was had had her eye on him for quite some time, and she knew not of any barmaids at the Silver Bullet in the first place, and he'd hardly arrange to meet a waitress after a night shift. But then again, he'd been very reluctant to return to the restaurant that morning—was it the prospect of telling the girl he'd slept with his fiancée so she wasn't worth anything to him any more? She didn't know whether this hurt her more or the chance he'd met up with a hooker just to get payback, but the thought of him sleeping with three prostitutes one after the other wouldn't hurt her as much as the true version of events.

      James returned two hours after her unfortunate spell, and he immediately noticed that something was worrying his beloved due to the haunted look dwelling in her facial features. She brushed them aside when he kissed her gently even though her head was screaming questions like whether or not he'd met up with the woman, and whether or not she was a better kisser than she was. She walked away from him and sat at the small table (one of the few items of furniture occupying his apartment), and as he joined her, he put a handful of pages in front of her, the contents of which brushed aside all of her brooding anger and replaced her hollow heart with a feeling of pure enchantment. They were an assortment of patterns for wedding dresses in mixed styles from a variety of eras, and each one before her appealed greatly to her taste, showing that her fiancé had taken great care in his selection.

      "Bear with me Jess, I know that you've wanted to have a great wedding since you were small, but with a baby on the way, I don't think it's feasible to imagine it now. I've got enough material for whichever style you choose, and I'm prepared to ruin my fingers sewing it for you if it need be. It's not going to be as good as anything you'd buy in a shop, but it'll save us a great deal of money in the long term"

      "It won't be as good, you're right. It'll be a lot better and are you sure that you want to do this?"

      "You've been deprived of enough things in life as it is, and I want to make sure that a half-decent dress isn't one of them. Well, at least I hope it's half-decent…"

      "I'd wear a dishcloth if you'd made it James, so don't worry about this, okay?"  
      "It's what you're saying now, but it might sound a bit different when your hormones change as you see the end product"

      "Thanks a million Jamie"

      "You call me that again and you can do it yourself!"

      "Oh all right, but only because I hate sewing"

      "Don't worry, I believe you on that one"

      Her churlish thoughts vanished as he pressed his lips over hers, and she knew that if they returned, at least now she'd been presented with ample time to enjoy a moment like this before she confronted him. He could still taste pique in her reaction, even though she did seem less distant than when he'd first entered the flat, and he was struggling to think of a reason for her changing moods in the relatively short time he'd left her alone.

      James received confirmation of Jessie's ill-humour a couple of hours later when they were heatedly kissing on the bed as a last time before they left the city, and it came in the form of her pushing him sharply away from her, like she had done the other night. He asked her what was wrong with her as she glared at him, and as she fixed her clothing, she grumbled out something that he couldn't quite catch. When he asked her to repeat it, she snapped out an obscenity-laced response to how stupid he was if he couldn't hear her, and she started to get up. He saw tears icing her opalescent eyes, and he knew whatever was wrong was truly hurting her feelings, so he felt guilty before he even knew what he'd supposedly done or failed to do. James was frightened that she'd leave him for the dangerous streets like she'd done the other night so he stood up and caught her by her wrists as he demanded an explanation, to which he received:

      "Why are you stopping me? Wouldn't it be more fun if you didn't let me go?"

      "What are you on about?"

      "No point denying it, now answer my question"  
      "For the last time I didn't hear it"

      "'Was she better than me?' is what I asked, so answer it"

      "I have no idea what you mean by that"

      "Come off it you spineless bastard, I know all about you fucking some broad the other night"

      James fell silent momentarily as he vacillated; his cowardice didn't extend to him wanting to deny it, yet he didn't know what he should say in such a situation. He never broke eye contact with her even though it pained him to watch miniature lakes welling up in her sapphire eyes, and she felt even worse when she knew her intimation was correct. She wanted to break away from him and find sanctuary in a dark, quiet corner distant from all people, but even though his grip on her was considerably weaker since she accused him, it was still too strong for her to escape from it as she felt like she was weak beyond redemption. He noticed that his fingers were leaving white prints in their wake on her fragile skin and he let go of her so he didn't hurt her; he had no desire in hurting women, and he never once intended killing the secretary earlier. He watched her anger crumble away to transmute into despair and misery, and he didn't know what to say to either give her comfort or respite. He held her and whispered apologies as she cried into his torso, and this surprised both of them as neither expected her to relent to her heart before she'd finished what could be quite a fierce argument between them. He had more tact than to tell her it meant nothing to him (that would certainly make his infidelity sound even worse), and he cautiously waited until her outburst had nearly vanquished before saying anything to her regarding the whole mess he'd chosen to make as his abode.

      "I'm never going to see her again, ever. I'm not going to say it meant nothing, but I did it out of frustration and anger because you'd left me"  
      "You wouldn't sleep with me when I kept asking you, but the minute I turned my back you rushed into bed with the nearest whore around"

      "It wasn't like that"  
      "So you've been playing away whilst you were still with me?"

      "No…I saw someone I used to go out with and temptation threw my senses into the abyss. I regretted doing it, but the only reason I wanted her was because I'd been denying myself of you and my hormones took over. I'm so unbelievably sorry"

      "Sorry's not going to cut it this time James. This is what…"

      Jessie allowed her sentence to trail away to nothing as a gut-wrenching realisation reached her angry head, and the more she dwelt on it, the more she knew it was right.

      "It's her, isn't it?"  
      "Who?"  
      "THE SAME BITCH YOU SCREWED LAST TIME YOU IGNORANT BASTARD"

      Again, James fell silent instantly and his face revealed what he could not, which left an overall tense atmosphere clawing at each of them, toying with their inwrought feelings. Jessie felt far queasier than she had done when she feared a miscarriage, and his ratification of her shot in the dark hit her far harder than any physical torment she had ever undergone. All of her emotions were torn out of her tremulous body by this knowledge and she was left with a hollow sense of nothingness as she continued to dwell on her fiancé's blunt portrayal of faithlessness.

      "So she is better than me"

      "Don't talk like that"

      "It's true…you went back to her…y-you're with me because you got me pregnant…it's her you want"

      "Jessie that's not true in the slightest, it's you I love. She's--"

      "The one you love. If not, why do you keep going to her James? Even after what she did to me? I'm not worth anything to you, is that it?"  
      "Jessie, don't talk like that, I love you and I always have. If you're not worth anything, then why am I here, trying to convince you of a candid reason for you to marry scum like me? Right now I can't even think of one, so I'm not going to be surprised if you do decide to walk out on me. I made a mistake, I'm human and I can't change that. I'm not perfect, and it's not as if I ever pretended to be"

      "She tried to kill me and you slept with her out of thanks…is that it? Will you give her a proper reward whenever she succeeds?"  
      "Of course that's not what it was like, and there's nothing I can do to change your mind if that's what you choose to believe. But just think about what is going to happen if you choose to leave, and think about what the baby will grow up like if you return to your apartment"

      "Are you threatening me?"

      "No. If you want me to never see you again, I'll comply without complaint and still support our child, even if you don't want me to see her either"

      "This is hard for me to cope with James, but I do want to see you again. I'm just not sure how long it'll take me to get over this"

      "Do you still want to move?"  
      "Y-yes, but I'm not sure if we'll be together by the time we reach wherever we're going"

      "Neither am I, and if I lose you over something as stupid as this, I won't be able to forgive myself. Can I get you anything?"  
      "J-James?"  
      "Yes?"  
      "If we sit down together and talk about…well, can you promise me that whatever passes our lips will remain here in Viridian, and not to be brought up again in our new home? Including your fling"

      "If it's what you want, then certainly"

      "In that case I'll make us a cup of coffee each, and I think you need some of your medicine. Your voice sounds like it's grinding stone together"

      Although it might have sounded like his voice was caught in the midst of a stone mill, James was mentally willing himself to smash his head open on some large rocks for being stupid enough to sleep with someone else, and to make matters worse it was someone who'd tried to kill his fiancée (the fact he'd been caught didn't bother him in the slightest). He exhaled deeply as he searched the bags for a packet of medicine that Jessie would have put away earlier, unless she'd maliciously flushed every single one of them down the toilet to exact a fraction of her revenge. Fortunately, she had done no such thing and he found them without suffering from any great hardship. He noticed his wallet with some of its contents spilt out on the floor and he wondered if anything was in it that had led to Jessie making such an assumption since he knew she hadn't left the flat in his absence. He picked the small item up, and it was only when he was gathering the minor belongings that he noticed an odd discolour visible on the patch of faded carpet beside the coins. Panic soared through his head as he looked at it, as it didn't look like any ink or drink he'd ever possessed, and if it wasn't one of them then it must have been either something Jessie had owned or some of her bodily fluid. He raced out of the room to see if she was all right in the kitchen and to determine whether or not anything serious was wrong with her, but he collided with her outside the door and he received some of his punishment for sleeping with Tyra in the form of having two scalding cups of coffee spilt down his front in their entirety. Despite the seriousness of their argument, Jessie failed to stop an apology and a giggle from escaping her mouth at the sight of him pulling the boiling clothes away from his body. He flashed her a sarcastically appreciative smile as he ignored the burning that tormented his stomach and lower, and even though he was in a high level of intense pain as this happened, it was pleasant for him to hear her badly suppressed laughter. He excused himself as he grabbed the bag Jessie had packed on his behalf and headed into the shower room to cool down his skin, and it was this unforeseen turn of events that delayed their talk by twenty minutes.

      He re-emerged from the small room in a different set of clothes, his disgruntled expression passing as a commentary on how he was feeling since he failed to do so. When Jessie attempted to stifle another bout of laughter, she asked him how he was feeling, but she exploded back into fits of giggles upon seeing him expose his stomach—his usually inviting smooth skin was now red and splotchy where the boiling liquid had burnt him. He fixed his attire and delivered a warm smile and a shrug to her question if he was feeling all right (it was amazing he could decipher it at all due to the shrieks of mirth sprouting from her mouth). She took him off his guard by pressing her lips solidly against his as she informed him that his actions had been almost completely forgiven, and that she'd never make coffee for him again if that was what was going to happen. It was when she said this that James' memory recalled the reason why he'd rushed so speedily out of the room in the first place, and instantly put a damper on his joy that Jessie was treating him as she usually did again.

      "Are you all right?"

      "What do you mean?"

      "There's a stain by my bed, are you all right? Nothing happened when I was out did it?"

      "Actually James, yes something did happen, and I only didn't want you to get too worried so I haven't told you yet"

      "Jessie, are you all right? The baby--"

      "She's fine, it's just when you were out I felt ill and a moisture was seeping out from me, and I was so frightened, but then I saw your wallet and learnt of your betrayal, and I just haven't had the chance to tell you"

      "How do you feel now? I wish you hadn't been alone when it occurred"

      "It's fine now, but it **really** shook me up when it was happening. I thought I was losing it and I had no way of contacting you. I felt so alone and…"

      "Shhhh honey, it's okay now, I'm not going to leave you alone now, I'm staying by your side, and I don't intend leaving it unless you want me to"

      17:35 hours…

      James had provided Jessie with all of the answers to whatever questions she'd provided in relation to his one-night stand, even though it had hurt both of them to relish the details the way they seemed to be doing. Unfortunately for James, the worst was yet to come when Jessie chose this moment to reveal why she'd become involved in the same lifestyle that James had hated, and why she felt like it was her only option.

      "Look James, don't interrupt me as I tell you this, okay? It's hard enough for me to admit, so I might as well get it all out in the one fluid motion, right? After I'd been discharged from the hospital without any of my belongings and friends, I had no alternative but to spend a few nights sleeping rough in the woods. One night I heard gunshots and I saw two men running past me, and a third fell next to me. H-he p-put his hand up my top and p-pointed the gun over my heart, telling me not to move unless I wanted to meet my m-makers. A few police officers came into the area and they assumed that we were just young, hormonal teenagers or something, and he said nothing had passed us. When they left on a wild goose chase in the opposite direction, he pulled the hammer back on his gun and ordered me to follow him. I had no choice since I had a child growing inside me, and I couldn't risk becoming entirely alone. I didn't recognise my surroundings but I knew it a dodgy part of the city as I saw events folding around me. I was pushed forward onto the ground and to draw my attention to the person in front of me, he stood on my left hand until I heard a bone break beneath the unbearable pressure. I knew who it was without an introduction. When my moth—um, I was forced into a few foster homes before I met you at an early age and some of those weren't hosted by the nicest people in the world. He'd called into one of them every so often, du Paor that is. He's a few years older than me, and I now realise that he'd been calling to bully the kid for money. It was the last home I ever stayed in because he'd beat me up if the other guy weren't around to try and make the repayments faster, but I wasn't cared about enough and the beatings became more frequent whilst the payments became less. I escaped, and after all these years I ran into his presence again. He knew we'd hooked up because of his dealings with Deryck, and he made my life a misery for us both escaping his grasp like we had. I was used as a sex toy repeatedly by whoever felt like it, and it was horrible when I didn't steal enough for him. I refused to go into the drugs business, and he warned me time and time again that he had eyes all over the city, so if I wanted to leave nobody would mind sending another nameless body into the river. It became even worse when they realised I hadn't had a period in the time I'd been in their company, so the sex became more painful and orders now included threats that if I failed, then I'd 'accidentally' fall victim to a miscarriage. The reason I hated you for betraying me was not because you'd slept with someone else, especially her, but it was because I spent that time out cold because someone beat me up so badly, hence the reason why my face looks like street pizza at the moment. We've got to leave tonight, because I was told to take you there and you'd be killed, and when I disobeyed…well, I'd have had an abortion without any say in the matter as you plainly saw. I didn't mean to be such a lying thieving slut James, I'm sooooo sorry"

      "I can't forgive you when you've done nothing wrong. I got involved in the same way—being at the scene of the crime, and then not being allowed into society after it in case I shopped them. I was a slut in one sense as well, and that's why I used to let the gay rumours get to me. I made the mistake of being good at it the first time, and since I hated it so much, it was used as a way of making him feel better whilst I lived in misery. It was even worse when I left the city for a couple of months, but I had to return because I didn't know how I would see you when you came back from that school otherwise. As for your life in foster homes, I know about your mother Jess, and I have done for a couple of years. I found out when I was on file duty in the early stages" 

      "Y-you know about her?"  
      "I know what's on file, and I'm not going to press matters because I know it's a touchy subject. You needn't say anything, okay?"

      She nodded meekly through a new course of tears, and what James had said was only half true; Giovanni had deliberately requested to his own mother for her to have Jessie sent into foster homes of ill repute to stop her learning the truth: Miyamoto had been assassinated for hosting a coup d'état against Madame Boss. He knew that the way she was happy in snowy weather was that she felt closer to her mother at those times, and if she knew the truth she would never act like that, never mind the fact that she would either have killed Giovanni or died trying in the name of revenge. He held the emotional woman against his torso to offer some decree of comfort, and he felt guilty for allowing her to tell him about anything she'd been hiding, as it had turned her world upside down as she recalled it. He also knew that it wasn't completely fluid, and that she'd omitted a few parts.

      Viridian City bus stop, 21:56 hours…

      Jessie and James were poring over an information point on the outer wall of the station as they tried to decide where they'd set up their new life, and to make the bitterly cold March winds seem less torturous, they were amusing themselves by making fun of certain towns' and cities' names. It was only the sleet that conjoined the biting wind after they ended the game with explaining how phallic Goldenrod City sounded that they began to think about it seriously, and Jessie's attention was almost instantly drawn to the name of Pearl Port. It was somewhere that neither of them had been, yet always yearned to visit due to the fables surrounding its supposed scenery and almost total seclusion, and these factors seduced both of their thoughts. It was one of the most expensive tickets to buy out of the available routes, so it was ideal for them to make a clean break where nobody would recognise or threaten them. They encountered another stroke of bad luck with this also; Tyra saw them boarding the bus seventeen minutes later with its destination clearly emblazoned on the top of the window, and the resurrected subject was standing near them in the station, and his excellent hearing allowed him to learn their destination. And his links in both Team Rocket would cause their gleaming new world to come shattering around them before they knew what would hit them, especially when he donated this information to du Paor and his minions. They were going to pay for what they did, or rather didn't do to him…


	8. 27th March, 2001

                                                 Tuesday, March 27th 2001

      The Horsea Hostel, Pearl Port, 07:30 hrs…

      James woke up with a troublesome pain stitching itself into his back from the hardness of the bed in which they'd spent the night, yet he was glad to have it as it was proof that their departure from Viridian City had not been a mere reverie. He felt Jessie moving in her sleep and his eyes immediately flickered to where she moved contentedly. She clung loosely to his arm in her sleep, with her t-shirt hanging slackly on her body as she stretched, and although she was pregnant, she seemed dangerously bony as far as he was concerned. The last thing he felt they needed was her having a miscarriage over an eating disorder; in spite of him initially wishing she hadn't been pregnant for another few years, he felt like their child was like a part of their lives that had been missing, just like Meowth had been when he was alive. His thoughts hardened when he remembered the deceased feline for two reasons. One was the whole situation regarding the little cat-type's death, and the other was what Tyra had babbled on about the first night he'd seen her over the last week—he wasn't going to deny it had spooked him, and upon dwelling on it, he was usually swamped with unease afterwards. Today was no different, and he rued even thinking about that girl—she was deft at making him contemplate his life (she had been ever since he'd known her), and although he'd always been positive that Jessie was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life loving, he'd often had a few thoughts niggling at him, prompting him to turn to the possibility of a future with her. He hated her for everything she'd done, yet these underlying thoughts disrupted his conscience at the same time, overthrowing his reason in the name of confusion. Jessie moved again and her hair cascaded gracefully off her shoulder and onto his abdomen, and the gentle touch of her hair on his skin pleased him greatly in a way that words could not describe. He gained pleasure in the simple knowledge of her secure welfare, and even though he didn't realise it, they both felt like the six months apart had never happened due to their proximity again. In fact, they were closer now than before as they had thrown many though not all of their secrets into the light, and they were a few months away from beginning a family away from the dangers that had wrecked their lives over the years. Their greatest challenge for survival, however, was yet to come, and instead of feeling safe in their getaway, they should have been fortifying their love to make their next horrific ordeal bearable.

      Jessie's only truly cognisant self was presently swimming through a whirlpool of ideas revolving around the torments she'd frequently suffered at the hands of her employer at his whim. One of the worst memories flooded her head; he held her against a cold, dank wall of an abandoned mill with rocks jutting out of it every few metres (one of them was incising her shoulder blade, leaving her right arm numb and immobile). She'd failed to satisfy him as he raped her, and now it was time for her to learn her punishment; he had launched three consecutive attacks at the defenceless woman, and her face was bloodied as one direct result of it. Whilst her bare feet ached with the cold as she stood on the broken glass-laden wet, stony ground, her knowledge of her predicament ebbed away with her feelings. She wasn't awarded the bliss of ignorance though; she was brought back into her horrible torment by an excruciating pain striking up a couple of inches below her naval, created by Henri inserting a needle into that very spot. She was too terrified to scream, and so with no vent for means of escape, her pain gathered with the force of a tempest and it invaded each pulse in her body, hammering against her skin without a trace of remorse. After an eternity or two, he extracted the syringe and threateningly pointed it under her eye before wordlessly making his escape into the dark, forbidding night without a care for her safety or health. She remembered that night with such clarity—the injection had dulled her body and sent her mind spinning higher than the stratosphere, and the only bodily function that had worked for her had been stretching her left arm to unhook her other shoulder from the rock. After that, she'd fallen to the ground, as unconscious as she was naked, leaving the rain to wash away some of the clotting blood from her face. She never did know what he'd injected into her, and every day she worried whether or not her baby would be safe (it was for this reason that she felt excessively guilty at James' reluctance to sleep with her after having an unknown substance shot into his system). She'd woken up with her coat laid over her body; evidently a person had passed her and chosen to make matters easier for her. She immediately ran her hand over her stomach and nether regions to check for verification that her three-month-old child's life had not ended prematurely because of Henri and his evil syringe.

      Jessie shot awake and for one horrible instant she believed she was back at the mill, not believing she wasn't until she realised that it was an uncomfortable bed and not stone she lay upon, and that it was a cold sweaty t-shirt and not a rain-soaked coat that covered her. It was her hand touching her stomach in her sleep that had awoken her from her sickening flashback, and she felt marginally weaker now than when she had during the time in question. She vaguely recognised James' voice asking her for reassurance that she was feeling all right, and she noticed that she was jerking disconnectedly as she tried to respond to her extremely worried fiancé. He didn't understand what was happening to her, and he held her against his body to calm her as she fought to wrench control back into her mind, and he involuntarily twitched each time a tear fell from her eyes and slid down their private tracks along his exposed skin. He eased the back of her t-shirt off her skin seeing it was saturated with sweat, and he would have asked her to move her arms so he could remove it when he noticed the hunted look in her eyes, lucidly caused by one of his actions, but he didn't know which. He let go of the material and kissed her lightly, whispering she was safe with him, and he wasn't going to let any harm befall her whilst he was around. He knew by her actions that what she dreamt about wasn't fictitious, or if it was, it was too closely based on real circumstances, and there wasn't a possibility for him that it had been a mere nightmare that could have upset her to this extent. Just as suddenly as it had attacked her, she blinked sharply to remove her fear, and she moulded her body against James' whilst he quietly soothed her, annoyed that she could have acted so pathetically in her sleep, especially the night after she'd made a break from it all. She took off the drenched t-shirt, groaning at the high-water content embedded in its fibres, and she accepted relief from the crisp air as it collided with her sticky skin. She could barely begin to imagine the discomfort her fiancé must be putting up with as he held her moist body, though he made no signs of it. She welcomed his lips with her own, tasting unasked questions in his mouth, breathing out an almost indecipherable 'Good Morning' to him as she settled herself on his lap, neither of them feeling the need to obey restraint on this occasion.

      Team Rocket Headquarters, Viridian City, 08:47 hrs…

      Giovanni strode angrily into his building, utterly determined to annihilate anything that obstructed his ideas or person from now on; having something explode next to his face was more than enough to deliver to him an even more ruthlessness attitude to life, especially since he'd forever be reminded of it whenever he glimpsed his grotesque reflection. His anger boiled quickly when he saw his secretary crying at her desk, making futile endeavours at cracking the code that James had ravaged the system with yesterday, and horror glimmered across her face when she saw the overly sadistic look in his eyes. He grabbed her shoulder and forced her forwards to extract some coherent answers from the terrified blonde, yet he noted she winced more than the average person should with such a manoeuvre. She spilled out all of the details as the white, blinding pain overthrew her dignity in one easy shot, and Giovanni's tolerance became zero, the permanence of which had yet to be determined. He forced her back into her seat whilst his mind was a flurry with ideas and dilemmas; of course that insolent youth would be eliminated at the correct opportunity, but first his location must be learnt, and he must acquire the knowledge of how to utilise something that could exact his revenge against the boy for all past discrepancies. The ideal method to gain such information would be to use his electronic sources, but the uncouth bastard stayed two steps ahead of me, Giovanni thought bitterly to himself. His answers lay in his room, or rather, sat on his burnt-out desk, waiting patiently for the head of the building to speak to him.

      "Why are you here?"

      "I'm the solution to your problems, assuming, of course, that you wish to punish the person responsible for immobilising your computer"

      "Proceed"

      "I know where the good-for-nothing rattata is hiding"

      "You know his exact location?"

      "No, but I know where he is, and it's so small, you'll be able to wipe both him and his whore from your armchair once you're there"

      "Don't call her that"  
      "Defensive, aren't we? It's all she is anyway. She's really let herself go this time"  
      "She's **what**?"

      "It's the truth, she's slept with more men than she's had hot dinners, which is quite believable since she went for years without a regular and balanced diet"

      "I would never have expected her to go down that route, even if I did assist her. So where is this ignominious excuse for a human located?"

      "Before I tell you, it is vital that we make a few things clear"

      "Such as what?"

      "Such as what I gain in return for this information, and whether or not I approve with your intentions"

                                                                                          **

      Tyra sat alone in a non-descript derelict café, sipping at a lukewarm coffee that bore as much appealing taste as the building itself. She reflected back on her pathetic life, and dully noted she had nobody she was able to call companion, never mind lover, and this depressed her greatly. Absentmindedly she tapped the top of the table with her fingernails repeatedly; it might have annoyed the other customers, had there been any. Actually its emptiness was what had originally attracted her attention to the café, and since she intended on doing some soul-searching, she wanted a place that presented few distractions. The only other sound in the building was the steady _drip_ of water escaping through a crack in the coffee machine, and the occasional turn of a newspaper, whenever the manager was finished reading a section. Her eyes began to struggle for sight through the impending tears welling up, clouding her line of vision, and she felt physically hurt when she thought about the way James had left her, and how she'd lost him to Jessie yet again. She angrily cursed herself for having the miscarriage, even though there was a chance that it wouldn't be his, it would at least have been something of his to hold onto, and she would have felt like she had some purpose in this gods-forsaken world. Her side began to ache with suppressed misery; it seemed the more she tried to eliminate her pain by ignoring it, the more damage it was actually creating. She snarled silently in anguish as the pertinent tears escaped the boundaries her eyes presented, and in one long blink, she banished most of the salty liquid whilst dwelling on the worst moments of her life. Surprisingly, the man she loved was involved in every one of them, however indirect she may have thought his involvement were in them. She jolted in fright when she reopened her eyes; she no longer sat alone in the dilapidated place, and she was amazed that she hadn't sensed her visitor sitting opposite her. It was the person who had saved her from the portcullis.

      His normally perfectly shaved face seemed a little rough, which indicated that the older man hadn't bothered with razors in a few days, to say the very least. His eyes looked drawn, and he emitted a general ambience of fatigue from his very person, and in spite of her initial horror, was she actually feeling _pity_ for him? Her instincts screamed for her to leave the café as quickly as possible, but her willpower seemed to think that she owed him some minutes of her time in repayment for him saving her life, so she sat uneasily, waiting for him to say something. His fixated gaze never strayed far from the frightened female's own, and he realised that she must fear him for their past history, even though he had shown a change in his attitude—he could have easily let her die the other day. Exasperatedly, he exhaled and revealed:

      "I'm not here to torture you, if that's what you really believe"

      "What proof have I got of that?"

      "I haven't killed you, and if I was going to, I could have easily killed you with a shuriken when your defences were down a few moments ago. I merely want to trade knowledge with you, and what I have to say might be of interest"

      "I'm not working for you, I've had enough of that, and I've got nobody to force me into it this time. I'd rather have starved if I knew what you'd make us do"

      "Yes, it was rather unfortunate that my darling had to shoot him, he did serve some purpose before he…well, that's irrelevant right now. I'm not here under any similar circumstances today, my wife doesn't even know I'm here; she thinks I'm attending a business meeting in Charcoal Town. No murder or mutilation required, but I would like you to help me out a little. Same rate, same target, no threats"

      "You want me to go after James? No way, he hates me more than ever now, and I'm not going through this again. It's absurd to even--"

      "How do you think he feels towards me?"

      The only sound detectable for a moment was the _drip._

"You deserve every ounce of vengeance and hatred he possesses"

      "Please help my son, he's in grave danger"

      "Danger? Do you even know the meaning of the word? My life is horrendous enough without the added hassle of trying to assist you, and if he found out--"

      "He's not going to, if you are more unnoticed than last time. I implore you, please help me, as a lifetime favour. I promise never to approach you again after this, if…"

      "If I live?"

      "There should be no risk of anything other than that happening. I just feel so aghast at requiring third party assistance to save my solitary son's life. You know I don't want to hurt him just as much as you do, so can I please convince you?"

      _Drip._

      "What is this danger of which you speak?"

      _Drip._

"Believe me when I say I have nothing to do with it, I overheard something in the headquarters today"

      "What's going to happen?"

      _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

                                                                                **

      With entwined fingers, Jessie and James walked down the wide, pedestrian-friendly route that sufficed as the main road in Pearl Port, and although the town was famous for its friendly population, they seemed to be receiving angry glares from all directions as they minded their own business. No matter how much they both chose to ignore it, the disdain-filled looks ground both of their good moods to a minimum; they refused to show their true feelings to neither the crowd nor their partner, and it wouldn't have bothered either of them if they knew what had triggered this effect—were they always this nasty to visitors? Jessie motioned to James that she was feeling fatigued and they sat down on the nearest bench (it was in a park away from the centre of the town) as she regained her strength. This action worried him owing to the fact it hadn't been that long since they'd left the uncomfortable hostel, and a very cold bench in late March was not one of the most reassuring images to him when it came to her safety, especially since she was with child. She leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder; her fatigue had merely been a fictitious story to get them away from the brooding glares the villagers were giving them. He ran his fingers smoothly through her hair to act as a minor show of affection that shouldn't irritate the unseemly residents of the town, and without moving his lips, he quietly asked her what was wrong in a tone that only she could hear. He would have run his hand over her thigh like they usually did when they wanted to ask it inconspicuously, but he got the impression that if he did, he would be greatly punished for his actions through deep resentment from the villagers. She sighed and made a quick nod in the direction of the crowd as she used adjusting her head for comfort as a façade to the public. He kissed her cheek and softly whispered they could leave the town if she was feeling uncomfortable, and in spite of her love for the surrounding beauty the port town possessed, she didn't want to raise a child where it would be hated each day of its life—both she and her fiancé had suffered enough of that throughout their lives. She whispered back that she felt it unwise to stay where they weren't welcome, and she voiced her opinion that they should move later that day. It was with great sorrow she did so; she despised travelling when unnecessary, and she'd loved the landscape near the port from what she'd seen. She kissed him lightly when it finally seemed that they were alone, but an elderly woman cracking her cane across James' back spoilt their private moment. He shot up immediately and turned to face the woman with as much dignity as he was capable of possessing, and he refused to touch where his skin was stinging from the attack to make it look like she hadn't hurt him when in reality he was in great pain.

      "What was that unprovoked attack for, you bitter old hag?"  
      "Respect your elders, and get away from this place"

      "Why? I haven't done anything to offend you or anyone else here"

      "We don't welcome your type around here, and the last thing we want is trouble"

      "I'm not causing anybody any grief, am I? In fact it's been the other way around, I've kept my business to myself and it's you people that are troubling us"

      "You aren't welcome here, now leave"

      "Are you threatening me?" 

      "Your very presence is threatening us, so leave us alone. Get your rubbish out of here before it's too late"

      "WHO ARE YOU CALLING RUBBISH?"

      "Jess, calm down. Too late for what?"

      "Just leave now you audacious whelp"

      "Give me three good reasons"

      "At the very least you've beaten up a pregnant…that's supposed to be a woman?"

      "That's news to me"  
      "Just look at the face of the thing beside you"

      "I didn't do that, she's my fiancée not a thing and I'd never harm her"

      "A child out of wedlock? Your status is deteriorating by the minute. You're trouble"

      "I haven't done anything, now kindly crawl back to the rock from whence you came, find a life and tell someone who cares"

      "He's coming back for you"

      "I've never been here before, what are you on about?"

      The old woman cackled to herself as the perplexed youth became increasingly angry, and she turned around without explaining her comment. If James' eyes had narrowed any further, they would have resembled Brock's, and she could feel his fury burning into her back. Suddenly, she stopped and without turning around, she jauntily called out:

      "The slut'll lose that brat shortly. Enjoy it while you can"

      James lost all self-control and tore after the woman, but even though he had the advantage of a thief's stealth, she evaded his attack easily and by smashing the handle of her cane into his throat she forced him backwards with his own momentum, which triggered his phobia. Jessie had already gone after the old woman, and although she was afraid of the woman striking her with the wooden object, it didn't deter her desire to make the woman pay for the unprecedented attack on her lover. With an unexpected speed and strength, the woman sidestepped Jessie's charge and caused her to fall by striking her cane across Jessie's ankles. Before either of the youths could react, she raised the cane above Jessie's stomach and forced it downwards, moving it mere millimetres before it would have collided with the skin. Neither teenager was bothered with her departure, even when she muttered her excuse for not killing the baby ('I'm not the one destined to kill it…'), they had more important matters to contend with; Jessie was crying hysterically, and James was coughing up thick quantities of blood. At the end of the street, the elderly woman met the person who'd told her to openly taunt them. He merely said, to which she said nothing before her departure:

      "Good work, this should delay them sufficiently. Your head will be the payment if he doesn't make it through this though, understand? His death is to be at the hands of someone other than a peasant like you"

                                                                               **

      Tyra wandered the town aimlessly whilst she contemplated heading back to Viridian City and quitting her mission she'd reluctantly accepted—her love for James overruled her hatred for his brusque family. She shivered as an oceanic breeze chilled her to her frail skeleton, and whilst blinking away unemotional tears the razor wind had caused, she wondered where her target could be. The villagers had been unbelievably welcoming towards her whenever she had interacted with them; she had thought such niceties surrounding the town's reputation were merely fables to attract tourists to the wonderfully serene place. She strode at a moderate pace, caught in between her desire to escape her return to a deceptive world and to find James to make sure the job was carried out both efficiently and quickly. She didn't need to deliver any threats, but the sooner his safety was ensured, the better, according to the weary young woman; she had no friends in this lifetime, and it was something that seemed destined to continue forever more, especially if she treated all of her former friends like targets. She brought the collar of her jacket up around her ears as the crisp wind blew even harsher against her dried-out skin, cursing the moment she'd accepted to be her former lover's guardian angel—she was risking death this time, if she was seen anywhere near either of them that was. She dwelt on the thought of the couple together, and instantly she felt jealous of Jessie; not necessarily because she was the one James had and always would love, but because she had succeeded in one of the many places where she had failed: she was still pregnant.

      She eventually banished these thoughts from her mind, and when she was rid of them, she glanced forward and noticed that the man she was supposed to protect standing opposite to an old woman, and judging by the taut stance he possessed, the words being exchanged between them were far from pleasantries. The battle lasted only a few moments, but it was what happened afterwards that chilled her far more than the malevolent wind circling the city. The woman approached her ex-partner, and his haunting, evil expression told her to expose the danger to the young couple without any regard to what they might do to her. She began to head back to them, but her intestines twisted uneasily as she saw the horrific situation that James was presently in, and there was no trace of her ex-partner when she returned her glance to his direction. She stood in the shadows for a few more minutes, feeling terrible as she watched the heart wrenching and stomach-turning event unfold before her. No matter how long her life would be, she was never going to forget the sight of her past lover finding it impossible to breathe as his own blood cut out his air passage.

      Viridian City, 17:55 hours…

      Giovanni swallowed a cut glass tumbler of neat whisky, the welcome familiar burn coursing its way throughout his body; it was one of the few things that gave him pleasure each time he did it—his whores for workers often failed to satisfy in their terror. The skin on his face was an angry burgundy, and peeling in other places; a direct result of the miniature bomb that the bitch Tyra had thrown at him. Another shot of neat whisky fuelled his desire to teach her the lesson she required; his worker had already informed him of her presence in Pearl Port. The old woman had in fact been a past rocket member, and convincing her to do a favour for Giovanni hadn't been too difficult, in fact she had apparently been a little more than eager to assist in the matter, or so he'd heard. Tyra had been seen by the ditto, which had taken the form of an adult male waiting for his wife, convincingly glancing at his watch every few minutes whenever she looked in his direction. She'd been followed, and now it wouldn't be too long until all of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place; nobody could make a mockery of him or his organisation and escape with their lives—no exceptions. He drained the rest of the alcoholic drink in three mouthfuls and threw the empty bottle at the door, making the guards in the vicinity jump with shock. Those who should have been on duty that morning and failed to turn up when Giovanni entered the building had all been gathered and surprisingly 'volunteered' to act as test subjects in future experiments, and until they were required, they were residing in a low-class cell, which not only had minimal air points located in it, but it was also based in the total dark. Of course, none of this happened out of their own free will, and Giovanni was trying to think of ways to punish them for their uncaring attitude that hadn't been used all that often in the past, after all, he needed more reasons for pathetic members to fear his wrath. His secretary was lying unconscious in one of his private rooms adjoining to the office he was in at this very moment, and she'd stay there until he injected her with a certain serum. He bore no desire to listen to her pathetic whimpering on how she didn't know how to reverse the code, and he had yet to decide whether or not he wanted to torture her sexually as well. He somehow doubted he would, since she had remained undeniably loyal to him over the years she'd worked there, and he understood that she'd acted in every way that was in her power when the headquarters had been invaded by that scum. He lit a cheroot of the finest quality and smoked it as he extracted another bottle of distilled whisky from his secret cooler, and he drank half of the bottle neat again as soon as he'd opened it. He felt the alcohol tingling at his brain cells, eating away at them no doubt, and he embraced the painkiller with open arms. His Persian looked at him as he would an insane soon-to-be morsel before returning to the monotonous job of cleaning his coat. Giovanni looked out of the magnificent window in an eternally pensive mode it would seem, guzzling some sweet, strong alcohol every so often, and then he knew what he wanted to do. He went from staring out of the window vacantly to moving like a creature hunting down its food, enjoying the chase of its prey almost as much as the tearing of its flesh. Which is what he intended to do now. He jabbed the syringe into Lindsey's torso without particular care, and as she slowly came round, he smashed the bottle across her knees before sending the broken neck of the bottle into her right wrist, the potent alcohol irritating the abrasions almost more than the glass had. He felt no mercy as he took her fervently but without love of any sort; nobody failed him and escaped with it, ever. No exceptions. 

      Pearl Port Hospital, 21:20 hours…

      A thoroughly terrified Jessie sat in an uncomfortable seat in the corridor outside the pre-operating theatre, waiting to hear the condition of her fiancé from on of the few doctors who roamed the intricate maze of hallways in the building. She had been informed during the previous hour that his condition was stable, but they needed to ensure that the bleeding had stopped, lest they would subject him to a trip to the operating auditorium. Her hunger and discomfort were completely irrelevant to her right now, so much so that she didn't even notice that her stomach pained her from lack of food, nor did she perceive her rump had turned numb from the terrible chair on which she rested. What seemed like an aeon of eternities later, they finally granted her admittance into the miniscule room to enable her to visit the love of her life. He was even paler than she was (a feat in itself as her alabaster complexion was stained white with fright), and his eyes seemed less bright then they usually were behind his glasses—though under the present circumstances it was quite understandable. He released a small sound of pain as he embraced her tightly, as her body were forcing the four needles in his arms into his skin even deeper. His eyes widened as they kissed, and he abruptly pushed her back without warning, and he reached for a small bowl made of card into which he intended to vomit. The sight of him throwing up blood horrified Jessie, but he told her not to worry since it was old with a grim smile, and he briefly explained that it was only blood he'd swallowed when he'd been coughing it up. He apologised heavily for her having to endure watching that, whilst mentally thinking gargling the hydrogen peroxide in a few minutes would taste viler than the bile that frequently visited his mouth. He needed to swill the chemical around in his mouth to prevent any blood from clotting because if it did, it would enhance the risk of something similar happening again. He explained to her since he had failed to take a few doses of his medication over the last few nights, his throat had contracted an infection, most likely from the smoke-filled tavern. The crack to his neck had forced the bad tissue into his main bloodstream, and when it punctured the fragile cell walls, it had caused the bleeding. He moved back slightly and again Jessie felt nauseated to see a thin layer of blood to travel up the tube attached to his right elbow via a needle. He quietly explained it was only travelling into the intravenous liquids because he'd moved his arm into a different position and capillarity accounted for the movement of the blood. She tried banishing the image of him squatting in the street as he lost valuable crimson liquid from his system whilst he used the hydrogen peroxide, yet it lingered in her memories. The attack had been unprovoked and unnecessary, and Jessie kept wondering to herself what would have happened if a passer-by hadn't been considerate enough to ring the emergency services for an ambulance from their cell phone. She kissed him in a hurry to act as a reminder he was safe and relatively healthy, and she gave a brief, genuine smile as she agreed that the chemical tasted revolting as she sampled it from his lips. A tear unexpectedly split away from her tear duct and hastily raced down her cheek whilst she uttered a question through trembling lips.

      "What did that hag mean, I'm going to lose our girl?"

      "Pay no heed to her words Jess, she didn't like us and she was only trying to hurt us for some reason known only to her"

      "She could have killed her then, she nearly did"

      "I know, and I hate myself for leaving you unprotected for even such a short time, though how she was so fast and strong for a woman of her age is beyond me. She had the speed of an assassin"

      "You had reason for not coming near me, she c-could have k-k-killed you with another hit, and I'm glad you didn't"

      "It's in the past Jess, we can't change it; the best thing for us to do is to forget the old bitch. She didn't know what she was talking about, okay?"

      "No it's not okay, she said we were trouble and that someone was after us. I'm not living in fear again, I thought we'd made a fresh start to avoid all of this"

      "We have, and she just tried to grasp at something to annoy us. The least we could do is take no notice of her, just to prove her wrong"

      "But who did she mean? And when will he catch up with us? Not du…"

      "It won't be him, he couldn't have possibly known we were heading here. Just ignore it Jessie. When I'm allowed to leave, we'll move to another place where we'll be welcome and unnoticed, okay? I'll always protect you Jessie, and as long as I'm around no harm will come to you again"

      "Promise? And our baby girl'll be fine?"

      "Naturally"

      Oh, but how wrong he was.****


	9. 28th March, 2001

                                                 Wednesday, March 28th 2001

      James woke up in acute agony twice in the night, and neither time had he felt it bad enough to call for assistance, but now, at six am, he felt annoyed by the nurses doing their rounds with medicine. He didn't need their help this time, yet he still had to suffer from waking up during a bout of fatigue, and his mood wasn't particularly cheerful, needless to say. Jessie was curled up in a terribly uncomfortable-looking chair beside his bed as she'd insisted to the head doctor she stayed the night, and despite the nurse shuffling about with a cart full of medicine she persisted to sleep, as if in defiance. He noticed her arms were around something, but she was so tightly curled up he couldn't see anything to give a hint about what it was, except that it had some white in it. His elbow throbbed with pain due to a discrepancy between whatever way he'd slept and what way the needle in his arm had twisted as a direct result of it. His blood transfusion was almost complete, with the last few drops of the valuable liquid travelling down the thin tube and into his arm, yet he still felt as light-headed and uneasy as he'd done the day before when it had been happening. Every single time he felt a liquid in his mouth he was certain it was blood, regardless of its taste, and he wished this whole incident had never happened, for Jessie's sake more than his own. She could have lost the baby in fright when that crazy old woman had nearly hit her with a cane, and he was increasingly grateful she hadn't—it was by far the last thing that they needed right now. He finally drifted back to sleep long after taking an iron tablet, only to wake up at half seven when the breakfast trolley was going around. He mentally shouted obscenities at the staff; how was he supposed to recover if they never granted him with a chance to sleep in this place, especially when they constantly annoyed him by giving him things he didn't want, like food?

      Jessie woke up to the clinking of china as nurses handed out breakfast to the patients in the room and took the blood pressure of some others, and her discomfort enhanced when she realised her back had gone numb from the awkward position she'd slept in, yet something else didn't feel right. She sat up properly and stretched, and it was only when her eyes were properly open she realised she'd been holding something, and she paled abruptly when she saw what it was. Stretching on her lap and looking up at her with bleary eyes was a mangy-looking meowth, _was it Meowth??? _No, he's dead she told herself, and she stared at in intently for a few seconds before standing up and sending it to the floor by her swift movement, tears welling up in her eyes as she knew she was seeing a ghost in the room, or was it? She was only certain that she was uncertain in this matter, and she would have said something to James or the nearest person except for the fact that her mouth had temporarily stopped working. She jolted when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she instantly spun around, not wanting another attack that could hurt her, but she saw a kindly looking nurse standing behind her, yet Jessie was now wary or everyone, especially from Pearl Port.

      "Excuse me dearie, but is that your pet? It's just we've had a four year old crying all morning because his pokémon has gone, even though he's not allowed to have her in the room in the strictest sense. We're only letting her stay because the child isn't going to live much longer, and she can stay so long as she doesn't sleep on the bed, which is why it went to you I guess; there were no other chairs in the room. Is it yours?"

      Words were still failing the young female and she barely shook her head, still in shock that she'd had a meowth on her lap and it wasn't her old friend. She heard the small female meowth mewing now that it was properly awake, and with a smile the nurse gathered the quadruped in her arms and headed off in the direction of the sick child, leaving Jessie more spooked than when she'd initially woken up. She sat back down, trembling in shock at what she thought she'd seen, deciding that it must be because she was in a hospital that she was thinking about meowth visiting her, as it had been in a hospital she'd learnt of his death. She hardly noticed her lover was speaking to her, and it was only when she heard him saying her name for the seventh time she chose to sweep her mind back into reality. James was greatly concerned for her—he hadn't been able to hear what the nurse was saying to her, and he hadn't seen what had made her stand up like that in the first place. Although she wasn't crying, he could tell that she was very close to it, and he was perplexed at what the mysterious white object he had seen could be. He became increasingly pale as he heard her story (it was quite amazing, when one considered the colour his skin now bore), as he still missed his feline friend, and he acted on manoeuvre he deemed the wisest; he held her in his pained arms and calmed her down, much like he'd done at various stages over the years of their friendship. He felt guilty hiding something from the one he loved, but there wasn't a window of opportunity for him to reveal that yet again, he'd learnt something of importance and kept it hidden from her.

      Down the corridor, the kindly nurse retransformed into a ditto and cautioned her blue-eyed superior about the gigantic risk he'd just taken, and he agreed with her whole-heartedly. Yet it had still been pleasant to spend some times with his former companions before he killed them.

                                                                   **

      10:00 hours…

      He entered the monstrous building with a slight drag in his step that was not caused by any physical ailment; the thought of seeing his wife after ordering their renegade worker to help their son caused it, and didn't even include the fact he had no evidence of the business meeting he'd supposedly attended. He'd never seen a problem with James' choice of fiancée, and he didn't want to tell his wife that they were reunited and were still intent on marriage, yet he knew that if she asked him directly at any stage, he would be unable to conceal the truth due to his lack of skill as a believable liar. He twisted the majestic knob on the door to his intimate study, the very one where he'd asked James to what extent of love he'd reached with Jessie—it seemed like a thousand millennia ago when he thought that only seven months beforehand had he had a decent relationship with his heir. Now he'd probably see him again under any circumstances, dead or alive. His wife suddenly walked in a flurry, yet somehow still succeeded to do so in an elegant manner. Her midnight blue dress enhanced her hourglass figure flawlessly, making her an enchanting beauty, but with hidden dangers concealed beneath the porcelain-like fragility of her expression. He took her hand and kissed it as his option of greeting, and as she fanned herself dynamically to suppress her true feelings—not necessarily ones of a romantic nature—she asked him how he felt after his long journey to Sunflower City was, as he appeared to be rather fatigued. He'd known better than to appear back at his home without first cleaning up his appearance, as there was no telling how she'd react if she saw imperfect facial hair on his face—she'd know he hadn't been to the business meeting for certain.

      "It all went rather well precious, but unfortunately he didn't seem completely interested with the exchange, so he's arranged for another meeting to take place in a few week's time. I think he'll accept"

      "How could he possibly refuse that generous offer of three oil rigs in exchange for his power plants in this area? It's important that he agrees, our jade grass is starting to yellow near the borders, and it's most unsightly"

      "I agree pumpkin, but if we just give him time…"

      "Where were you this week?"  
      "Sorry, I may have misheard, could you please rephrase it for me darling?"

      "I asked you, _dearest husband_, where you were for the past seven days, which is one hundred and sixty-eight hours"

      "I was at the business meeting in Zirconium, you know that"

      "I don't find dishonesty attractive in anyone, and you know what I do when I'm not pleased. I eliminate the problem. You told me two weeks ago you were going to Charcoal Town, to meet a Sheila Flintridge in relation to her request for a second opinion on her latest discovery on our largest, tourist-free island. Now, I just asked you how your trip to Sunflower City to meet a male colleague was, and you divulged me with night soil. Even now you're trying to tell me you were in Zirconium, so tell me this instant, where were you and who were you with?"

      Her voice didn't alter as she delivered her miniature interrogation of her husband, which made it even eerier to listen to, principally when he was a terrible liar and felt moments away from releasing what was gathering at his throat, oozing to tell her that he'd gone after their son. He contemplated the following: would it perhaps be simpler to tell her he'd had an affair? It would probably result in a less complex future for all involved in the true version, and was his life really worth living? If she exacted her ultimate revenge, James would be safe from her wrath, and she'd forget about where he was…wait, it wouldn't work. Tyra wouldn't work for nothing, and sooner or later she'd return to where it had all originated for her money; his wife was inevitably destined to find out about it, so he might as well reveal the truth now, and just pray that James was somewhere where even she couldn't find him, if that place existed. His stamina seemed to be sucked out of his trim body, as it always did when he was faced with a conflict such as this with his beloved, and he decided that the truth may help him more than an intense stream of lies he may easily forget. She successfully chipped away at his confidence without saying a word or changing her actions in the slightest, and he was thoroughly unnerved by the time he'd blurted out the truth, and he mentally cursed his weakness as eloquently as he could. He jumped as she snapped her fan shut with a loud click as the sides joined together, and her calm exterior contrasted with his state of being weakened even further, and he regretted telling her as she melodiously replied:

      "Well, we'll have to greet our dearest son now and rid him of some excess baggage, won't we sugar?"

      He gulped unassumingly; this would be as ill fated as the last time, if not even more so as his wife was going to carry out the actions, and her aim had yet to miss a target.

                                                                            **

      Jessie walked nervously around the edge of the hospital building; she'd been ordered out of the room by the medics whilst they performed some routine procedures on her lover, and even for late March, the culmination of bright skies and heavy raindrops irritated her beyond belief. She looked out towards the town that caused this nightmare for them, and she kept worrying about the old woman had said to them—what had she meant by she not being the one destined to kill their child, was she going to lose her child in the future? A particularly large raindrop fell onto the base of her nose, and she was suddenly sucked back into a similar situation when she'd been waiting with Meowth for James after he'd caught his leg in a gin trap, and her own drops of moisture joined the many on her face. Why was it always them, and why did Meowth have to die? She missed the old feline, especially when she'd been falsely told James had left the hospital prematurely, and it seemed hard to accept he wouldn't be there when she started a family with her partner. Of course, he'd probably just complain at them being at it like Nidorans or something, but it would be a homely comfort to have the wise old cat around once in a while. A stranger placing something in her hand and running away at full speed interrupted her thoughts, and by the time she'd turned around, they had completely vanished from her line of vision. She was terrified at her leaving her guard down for so long, especially after the day before—s/he could have done anything to her when she was as exposed as that. In her hand lay a crumpled piece of paper, and she stopped her tears when she read it, not out of happiness, but because she was so shocked by it she couldn't do anything. 

                                        You can run, you can hide,

                              But a worthless whore we'll always find.

      She was light-years beyond spooked by the message, and to be honest, she was surprised that she was still conscious since she felt so faint; it also rang home another truth about the time she'd been waiting for Meowth—all of her waking moments were spent in fear for her and her friends' lives. She kept rotating at a high velocity to ensure someone couldn't sneak up behind her again, and in spite of her instincts screaming for her to run back into the hospital, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't see him in this mood, and the last thing he needed was to be excessively worried about her in the middle of procedures. She wondered who could have possibly been behind the note this time, as James had guaranteed he'd seen Chopper die, was it James' little whore, Tyra doing it? If so, it would just be another reason for her to cut her open in the route of revenge, and Jessie would be glad for the added excuse. It had seriously knocked her confidence when she'd worked out James had been faithless; he'd slept with the same woman twice, so what did that say for her skills when it came to sex? She felt gloom consume her thoughts for the myriad time that year, and she waited in the lobby of the building until the feeling dissipated. She absentmindedly tore at the edges of the note she'd been handed whilst she dwelt on many depressing facts, and oddly, she felt better once she'd made some bitter realisations. She threw the scraps of paper into the nearest bin as she walked towards James' room an hour later, and she knew deep within her living self that soon the final test would come, and after that they'd both be safe from the vengeful wrath of others, so they could live out the rest of their lives in peace. But she couldn't think about that right now; she had a lover to visit, and ill judgments to forget.

      Butch contemplated the morality of what he'd just done; granted, he hadn't hurt anyone, or even stolen anything, but something didn't feel right as he slipped something into Jessie's hand—it was as if he'd betrayed her. He didn't know why he should feel like that in view of the fact that they had never been close friends, and he'd killed a few pokémon and paralysed people in his life without ever feeling even the slightest bit remorseful, nevertheless this was different in a sense he couldn't fathom. Perhaps his discomfort was linked with her being openly distraught and crying at the time he'd given it to her, or since seeing her reminded him of Cassidy. It wouldn't be that long until he had her permanently back in his arms, and as soon as this job was over, he'd ensure her life was never endangered again as long as he was near her. The ends justify the means, right? And it wasn't as if he was hurting Jessie or James in the process; he'd only handed her a note so far, and what damage could possibly be inflicted on them with that? He didn't even know what was on the note; Meowth had written it and handed it to the youth for him to pass to her, explaining he was unable to reach her hand without being seen, and he wasn't emotionally ready to speak to her. Lies of course, but there was no reason why Butch should doubt it, as it seemed completely plausible, but in spite of this he felt guilty for continuing with his request, as he knew the young woman was frightened at him sneaking up on her in a weak moment. He didn't even know why she was near the hospital, and he hoped that he hadn't disturbed her when she'd learnt of the death of someone of which she was very fond, and the more he dwelt on that possibility, the more he ecstatically thought about how soon he'd be reunited with Cassidy. It made sense why he couldn't see her now, as she probably would still require a considerable amount of cosmetic surgery, therefore she'd loathe being seen at that time. He glanced around the corner of the building one final time to check she was all right, then without a sound he walked to where his new partner would be waiting for him.

      Lindsey opened her bleary eyes and she initially failed to remember where she was and how she got there, but then it all flooded back into her head with a sting as sharp and as relentless as the glass embedded in her clotting wrist. She sat forward whilst she gathered her clothes around herself, dislodging shards of glass from various points of her body as she did so. She was a stronger person than to panic at this stage, as judging from her healing wound, it wasn't life-threatening, nor was it as messy as it could have been, so all in all she was grateful for her minor injuries. She got off the bed in an attempt to ease the dizziness from which she presently suffered, and after a few wobbly steps forwards she staggered as she stepped upon fragments of broken glass. She settled in an armchair in the furthest corner from the door, not willing to be caught in the midst of an attempt to flee. She wasn't overly bothered by the fact she'd been raped, in fact she was more worried about what Anthony would think when she told him, but another stream of thought convinced her to tell him she'd been working all night and she'd cut herself by falling asleep on some of her sharp tools. At least now Giovanni would be easier to deal with, as he always tended to be whenever he'd eased his sexual frustration by forcing it upon someone else and, quite frankly, she'd had men far worse than him. Was it his constant anger at his employees that had made him such a strong and powerful lover perhaps? He lay on the bed in almost peaceful manner in the clothes he'd worn the day before, and she flexed her weary legs, stretching them over the armrest as she allowed herself a nonchalant manner—it would be quite some time until he posed any great threat to her. She tore a section off her already shredded blouse and she carefully succeeded in making a tourniquet out of it, even though her wrist didn't hurt as much as she would have earnestly expected it to. She moistened a bit of excess material with what little saliva resided in her mouth and she pressed firmly on the dried blood surrounding her makeshift bandage, and she suddenly felt great pity for Cassidy, whose pain would have been colossally worse than what she endured at the present moment. The expensive whiskey had helped her as Giovanni had inserted the bottleneck into her, as it had acted as a disinfectant against the bacteria in the air. Although she hadn't desired to sleep with her superior the night before, she was seriously contemplating screwing up again just to get screwed by him; Anthony wasn't quite the man she'd wanted him to be, which is why she'd removed the guilt she'd first felt. She closed her eyes and rested for a while longer, thinking about what she may do when they were both awake and together alone, allowing a small smile to spread across her mouth in mirth, yet simultaneously wondering why she suddenly felt like this after all the time she'd worked there. Maybe it was just she was glad for the change in environment after a couple of years and several months of being treated like the perfect scientist that resided in the lowest form of mud available. She opposed her present situation with an undeniable defiance, and she slept as contentedly as she would in her own apartment.

      James lay discontentedly on the bed, his distaste caused by a variety of factors, including lack of sleep and the general uncouthness of the workers that persisted in pestering him every so often. He'd had his blood pressure taken more times than he'd felt necessary, and he'd even prepared in his mind what to snarl at the next nurse who wanted to take his temperature—he'd lost a few pints of blood, the majority of which had been regained through a transfusion, so he wasn't running an abnormal fever and didn't require his temperature checked every time someone looked at him. His body heat did pick up a bit when he saw his fiancée walking in his direction, yet his face didn't alter in its almost mystic colour, as the heat seemed to be spreading from within. His mouth was parched from the dry hospital air, but it was irrelevant as he closed his lips over his lovers' in a form of escape from their misery-inducing surroundings. Her panic had all but disappeared in the short distance from the outside of the building to the second floor, so she felt determined to make him feel better without revealing a thing about her previous misgivings. In spite of knowing the extent of the possible repercussions of his plan, he decided to reveal it to her, and he got the reaction he expected from her—not a remotely happy one.

      "No way James, you've done that before so…"  
      "And it's worked before so why the problem now?"

      "I don't want to risk your health over money, okay? You're worth more to me than that"

      "But I'm not risking anything, think about it will you? We've escaped hospital fees before so why should this be any different? I hate this place, and the further away from this town we are, the easier we can rest. Do you want to perpetually live in danger?"

      "Don't say that, you know I want to be away from this place as much as you, but a few days can't affect us that much, can it? We can move away when you've recovered more, I can't face losing you, so I don't want…"

      "I'm not going anywhere Jess, so just help me get out of this place and we can rest in peace, okay? I know what medicine I need, so we won't need to raid the place after dark like Meowth did last time, so just please help me get away. If not, I'll do it alone"

      "James, don't act like this. You know I want you back all to myself, safe and sound, but I don't want you to act this stubborn-headed about it"

      "So I **am** going to do this alone then?"

      "If you're determined to do it without me, then I'll help you. It doesn't mean that my moral objectives have changed in the slightest, so don't think that for a second. How do you intend moving inconspicuously on your way out? You're so pale you stick out like a toxic smoke-emitting factory located in a splendiferous glade"

      "First, just 'help' me to the lavatory please"

      She grudgingly assisted him in his discomfited struggle to the room at the opposite end of the public room, and then when they were securely in there he grimaced whilst he pulled the needles out of their many points of residence in his skin. A few red orbs of blood made their debut at the punctures in his arm, which Jessie removed by carefully rubbing them with a drop of water. His chin was even paler than the rest of him as he bit firmly on it whilst the needles were dealt with—it regurgitated too many flashbacks of the worst moments of his life, even though it was Jessie touching his injection areas and not an extremely pissed off employer. He cleaned up his appearance whilst he was there by washing his face and hands thoroughly; the dried blood neither looked nor felt appealing on his person. When he'd donned his outfit fully, he stuck the needles into the bags of intravenous fluids in case a child was the next one in there, but he took off his identity wristband and pocketed it, to avoid his absence being discovered too soon. Jessie felt uncomfortable as he carried out his deceptive idea; in her eyes, there was something very wrong with it, yet she didn't know what factor of it was giving her such a conscience. Her kiss was only half-felt as she delivered it to her lover, yet in spite of this she felt like an unknown force had banished a tremendous weight resting upon her head, so she felt grateful for her partner's mule-headedness. Their escape went entirely unnoticed and with their soaring adrenaline counts, both of them knew their fate had changed, if only for those twenty-four hours.

      Giovanni awoke late that afternoon to the sound of a nearby phone ringing, and he wondered where he was for a few minutes, owing to the fact that he was unaccustomed to waking up alone in that particular room in his property. He noticed his secretary looking at him without a bother about where she stretched on the armchair, and he felt regret running through his head for an instant; he'd never wished to do something like this to Lindsey since she was a rare person in the world—a friend. He couldn't read her expression despite his feelings being readily available to whoever looked at him, and she knew she held the trumps in this game, and her pleasure had been the icing on the cake for her. The phone had ceased ringing but he didn't notice although it had been increasing his sharp hangover, but he did notice its return a few moments later. He barked a response into it when he'd picked it up, but much to his disgust it continued to emit a shrill noise as he'd forgotten to press the correct button to answer it. His ill temper was soothed instead of increased when his ears detected Lindsey's laughter at his terrible mistake, and he presented the caller with a more pleasant greeting when he successfully answered the contraption. The discussion was brief but informative, just the way he liked it, and he savoured the moment he learnt of where Jessie would next be heading—they had many lookout points in that area, so it would be next to impossible for their actions to go unnoticed. Giovanni felt even more pleased when he learnt of the intricate yet very delicate plot that Meowth had developed, and it sounded so realistic that once even he may have fallen for it. There was no chance of those idiots working it out, he thought to himself harshly, and he began to feel…_anticipation_…at the results this operation would carry.

      Jessie sat beside James at the back of a bus to the area in question, acting as free-spirited as they felt without knowing any sources of oppression that either cared to acknowledge. Their passion-spawned actions had sparked both disgruntled comments from the surrounding adults and great interest in a few very young teenagers that had only recently 'discovered' the opposite sex when their hormones had struck them. They didn't care if the pathetic males were watching them; they were much too self-contained with supreme joie de vivre to care about that obtained pleasure out of their pleasure with exception to themselves. They were unaware of what trickery the town would contain, and to what degree it would affect their lives, but even if they did know what awaited them, it was doubtful it would kill their good moods instantly. They calmed down a bit as they knew their stop was due any minute now, and a few lowered voices were complaining as they left, whereas the dissatisfied adults raised their voices to express their happiness at their departure. They were the only two who wanted to visit Aqua Town, so they felt a little out of place as they walked in the general direction of the town centre. James felt discomfort as he shouldered his bags due to the twist created in his arm, but he failed to voice the irritants seeing that Jessie seemed genuinely happy with her hand clasped freely in his.

      The medieval town was stunning with its awe-inspiring scenery and outer décor of buildings; it was furthermore in some ways it was more picturesque to look at than Pearl Port. They felt like they'd found the ideal location to recoup since the local townsfolk had yet to look at them for more than three seconds, and the glances already exchanged failed to contain any traces of condescension towards the young couple. James felt astoundingly hungry yet his throat felt antagonising with the pain beating a tattoo into the back of his mouth. He suggested to Jessie they should get some lunch and sit outside with it whilst it was a rare tepid day in late March, to which she readily agreed, feeling hungry herself, in spite of eating James' breakfast when the nurses had stopped looking in their direction. They found a small park in their search for a shop that would facilitate their needs, so after they'd bought their food, they returned to the quiet, green area of the town. James struggled in eating his food as the crumbs at the back of his mouth resembled bad tissue to his brain, causing discomfort in his actions. He felt self-conscious as he coughed every other second to dislodge some crumbs when they refused to become dislodged after they were supposed to be swallowed, even though the only one who could hear him doing it was his fiancée. Taking mouthfuls of liquid didn't help the unfortunate youth either, as it refreshed his memory of having blood flowing from there, but in his favour Jessie had been compassionate enough to ignore the sense of self-embarrassment from which he suffered. She slowed down the rate of ingesting her food to accommodate for James' hindrance, and this small action made him feel less pathetic even though it didn't really affect her eating patterns. He eventually finished the baguette he'd purchased for lunch, and when he had some food in his system he felt better. He was also eternally grateful he'd drunk water and not required intravenous fluids—he'd needed to relieve himself at regular intervals in the night because of the surplus of liquid in his body. It had been difficult at first when he was particularly light-headed from blood-loss, but he'd at least been able to kiss Jessie without restraint when they were alone together, that was, if they ignored the circumstances why they were there in the first place. They sat and watched the scenery for a while before resuming their search for somewhere to stay for the night, and then suddenly Jessie suggested they stay in a pokémon centre, not only because they'd have instant access to medical supplies if he needed them, but also because she felt their pokémon deserved a treatment since they hadn't been out of their pokéballs in quite some time. He agreed to her idea and jokingly added that it probably had nothing to do with the fact there were no fees if the people were pokémon trainers, to which he received a playful elbow in his abdomen to suffice as her answer.

      Tyra's bus drew in a few minutes following Jessie and James' lunch, and thankfully for her there had been quite a crowd departing the vehicle with her, giving her a slight shroud from them in the town. She received even more good luck from hearing the two youths revealing where they intended to spend the night, so she darted forwards to head towards the centre before they noticed her presence. Though due to the proximity of the lovers, it would take twelve angry cherry-coloured Gyradoses attacking them to alert the couple of their surroundings. She reticently deposited her belongings into her single-bedded room, feeling glad that the cheerful nurse hadn't allocated her to a room with more than one bed, or else she may have ended up spending the night in the same room as her former friends. She sat on the bed with her back against the numbing wall, and for some reason she felt more depressed than ever before—was it perhaps the combined facts of James being attacked, and her not being the one who could comfort him afterwards? She rolled up her sleeve and watched the striking purple scar on her wrist, remembering when he'd kissed her tenderly upon seeing the extent of the self-inflicted damage, and what he'd done with her that night. She'd in all probability have an easier time with her buzzing conscience if she'd told James her partner had drugged his fiancée, and that their former boss was almost certainly raping her. She slid the woollen article back over her wrist, not liking the mournful nature that consumed her soul every time she looked at that particular body part, especially as it reminded her of Deryck, and how he'd had his way with her against her will. Nothing could ever make her forget that nightmare, nor the time when she thought her employer had shot him over one of his more unforgivable mistakes. She stood by the window on the east side of her room and watched daily life unfolding before her eyes, and another daily part of her life occurred: she saw James happy with another woman and she felt tears sliding down her face. She had yet to forget the last time they'd met when he'd threatened her without a care for her feelings, though she knew she definitely deserved it for her placing a tracking device on him.

      Jessie and James had decided on a ploy to allow them to sleep in the same room, knowing that they'd hardly be trusted to sleep in a one-bed room together. They were going to act the innocent virgin couple and see how long it took for the nurse to allow them to share a room. Jessie wore her coat as she'd done the night she'd met James the week before, as it hid all traces of pregnancy and would therefore heighten their chances for success. The almost overly-cheerful Nurse Joy asked them how many pokémon they wished to submit, but instead of answering her, James just passed the spherical objects into the tray, as he knew that if he'd given a figure he would've included both Meowth and Weezing. Jessie clasped Joy's hand between her two and gushed out a stream of false graciousness that the nurse would look after their pets to make sure her engagement was on show, feeling overly superficial as she did so. James asked her if she had any spare rooms for the night where they could sleep, as they were both so very tired from the travelling they'd done. The nurse looked at them in a dubious manner, whilst asking them if they really thought they'd let a couple of teenagers to sleep in the same bed together for free, even if it was cute that they were engaged. Jessie looked appalled at the mere suggestion of it, and stared at the nurse as if she'd suggested the grass to grow into the ground, whereas James gave a well-practiced blush and explained that although they were engaged, they firmly believed in sex after marriage and the thought wouldn't cross their heads until they exchanged vows. Their faces looked completely honest and Joy must have found their pretence of being virgins believable as she granted them two different beds in a room that contained four. Their gratitude wasn't remotely false as they walked away from the nurse with the sparkling personality, excited at the thought of sleeping safely away from any threats, and the direct phone link to the nearest hospital made Jessie feel easier with regard to James' safety.

      Lindsey sat behind her desk as she re-entered countless codes to try and override James' cryptography, and even though it was a challenge that presently outsmarted her skills, she didn't allow this to bring down her sense of personal security. In fact, she wasn't even paying attention to what she was using most of the time, and for all she knew she could be repeating the same codes every other minute. She was brought out of her thoughts by a kiss to her cheek, and for some reason she felt resentful when she saw it was only Anthony. He noticed her immediate unenthusiastic attitude as he struck up a trivial conversation between them, yet he chose to ignore this for his own pride, if for nothing else.

      "I've got a few minutes until my shift officially starts, but I was wondering, do you want to do anything tonight?"

      "I can't, I'm sorry. Giovanni kept me working at this all night last night, and until I can break the code he interlaced our system with, I'm not going to stand outside these walls"  
      "That's barbaric! Are you sure that you can't take a break. If you want, I could talk to him…"

      "No, that's fine hon, besides what do you think he'd do to you if you interfered with his decisions? He doesn't have that reputation for nothing, you know"

      "I guess not, but I hope you get the computer sorted out soon, I don't like the idea of him taking his anger out on you like this. Are you sure?"

      "Yes, thank you. Hadn't you better get to work before he sees you idle on his time?"  
      "Yeah, you're right again. Whoa, what happened to your wrist?"

      "Oh that's nothing, I just cut it against a sharp tool, that's all. I've had them before, it'll go in a few days hopefully"

      "Do you want me to get you anything for it?"

      "No thank you Anthony, but will you please leave me alone to crack this, or else I'll be stuck here for another few days"

      "Okay, if it's what you want. Catch you later I guess"

      She didn't feel a little bit guilty at forcing him to leave like that, which surprised her far greater than her initial shock at not being able to access the computer's mainframe. She didn't know why she didn't like the man she'd had a crush on for months, conceivably it had to do with reality not matching up to her high expectations, even though she felt he was just as sweet and as caring as she had imagined he would be. It may have to do with her new status as the supreme woman in the fraudulent organisation and the only one who'd slept with him without screaming or crying as they returned to work. This sense of supremacy somehow was a very becoming attribute for her; consequently she intended to use every drop of it to her advantage in one method or another. She just hoped she'd be forced to 'work' all night again like she'd told Anthony.

      She watched her son inserting a few coins into a public payphone from a distance, and she inspected the number he dialled like a hawk, wondering if he'd remember the significance the date should bear for him. The number he dialled was the one she suspected, knowing all along that he would be in for a nasty shock when he received his answer. She opened her fan in the flick of her wrist in a smooth motion, fully prepared with a collection of poison-tipped throwing knives in each fold of the paper-thin centre of the object, should he intend to see her and try to kill her in an undoubtedly impolite manner. She could tell the effect the news brought to the youth had on him, and if she didn't hate him for his years' worth of constant betrayal, she may have felt empathetic for the only fruit produced by her loins. He shakily replaced the handset and returned to the room where Jessie lay waiting for him, unaware that his mother could have chosen to end his life at any point as he never noticed her presence. Tyra, on the other hand, did and felt colder than a glacier in the Arctic Ocean at the sight of the woman.

      Jessie understood something was wrong with her lover the instant he entered the room, but she received a strangled sob instead of a reply when she asked if she could help him. He'd said he wanted to make a phone call and she'd respected his privacy, unlike the last time he'd made a phone call during their previous relationship, and now it appeared he hadn't got the answer he wanted to hear. She comforted him as the shock ground his feelings to a standstill, and when he was ready, he revealed what had gone wrong with the call. He'd initially rung Jessie Belle to wish her happy birthday and to see how she was feeling in general, but he hadn't recognised the voice at the other end of the phone when he received an answer. It had turned out that she'd committed suicide upon learning she was HIV positive, unable to live with the pain or grief struck upon her in the knowledge's aftermath. He hadn't wept once after learning of her death, owing to the fact he was too deep in shock to understand why his true emotions were refusing to reveal themselves. Jessie could honestly say that she wished it hadn't happened in spite of their previous discrepancies, and she knew James was feeling it more than he was showing, he wasn't that inhuman for something harsh like that to happen without it torturing him in some form. He hated himself for allowing such a thing to happen even though he wasn't directly involved with its occurrence, yet he felt guilt pulsing repeatedly in his blood vessels, confirming his beliefs. Was it because she'd been dead for a couple of months, her home had been sold and only now he knew of her death? Was it he knew some of her rapists and still did nothing about it after he'd learnt their identities, and one of them had given her a potentially fatal virus? Whatever it was, it hurt him to think about it, and it added a tremendous amount of tension to his already overloaded pressure pile, and he felt like he was approaching his limit. He rested against her as he almost fought to get the emotions out of his body, yet he couldn't make himself react in any way despite his hardest efforts.

      Meowth prowled in the publishers' office steadily yet confidently, declining the desire to laugh, as he knew his plan was destined to work out—he knew his ex-partners' intelligence level after all. He still resented the fact his coat hadn't fully re-grown after the way Cassidy had irresponsibly shaven it off during her tests to return him to the world of the living, and it was only because of this fact that he didn't regret killing her. Butch was running the page he'd given him through the main copier, still idiotically working under the impression that his darling was still alive, and Meowth would only set him straight when he'd finished playing with him, he did make a good toy to manipulate, and there were only so many human tasks a feline can do. He still felt a warmth buzz through him when he considered the time he'd spiked Jessie's drink without being noticed, it had been priceless to watch her and James panic, but the only drawback was he hadn't been able to cut her stomach open like he'd wanted to so badly that night. Still, they were now spooked by what he'd paid an ex-rocket to say to them yesterday, and she'd done her job far greater than expected, and he could allow Jessie a free unhygienic abortion whenever he had a strong urge again, after all this town was infiltrated with his associates. He saw a shattered soul looking at him as Butch passed him the finished products, and he could see in his brown eyes that he pleaded for a few seconds with Cassidy, even though he was too afraid to ask it. Meowth ordered the youth to follow him as they headed towards the pokémon centre, because once Jessie and James saw the offer Nurse Joy would present them with the following day, there wasn't a snowball's chance in a furnace they'd refuse, and it would become the key to their downfall forever more.

      Aqua Pokémon Centre, 23:35 hours…

      Jessie lay with her back resting lightly against James' stomach due to the position they were in, and she was solidly asleep, holding onto her lover's arm on her stomach that held her close to her body. James had released some of their inner tension in the last half hour of their waking memories, and afterwards, neither had maintained enough energy to partake in a light discussion like they usually did to help them sleep. His body felt less tense now in his sleep, yet his dreams were frequently troubled with Jessie Belle committing suicide. He hadn't learnt what manner she'd chosen as part of him didn't want to know, so he saw her cutting her neck, wrists, taking poison and hanging herself amongst other terrible methods. They were both solidly asleep so neither heard three people entering the room, and Jessie's exposed front being stared at by the male who chose the bed opposite to them until he finally fell asleep. Nor did they hear Nurse Joy laughing when she learnt of her duty for the following day.


	10. 29th March, 2001

                                                 Thursday, March 29th 2001

      James woke up suddenly at half eight in the morning; despite his best efforts he failed to discover the source of his momentary alarm. Perhaps it was just tension upon learning of his former fiancée's death, but his lack of open emotions had scared him—he should release some of his ill feeling before it compressed his soul too much. He wanted more than anything to lament her death, yet for some reason he couldn't express the inner torment he was presently plagued with, and the last words he'd spoken to her was when he made his promise to return to her, but now he'd never see her again. He pitied her not only for having contracted HIV in the unfortunate incident, but he remembered what a shell of a human she'd appeared as she told him they'd beaten her so hard she was incapable of having any children of her own. He willed himself to cry, but his body still refused him the ability to express any methods of showing how he felt, a slow torturous punishment that hurt him beyond redemption. He desired to go for a walk but that wasn't an option obtainable to him since he lay beside the wall, as he'd require waking Jessie up in the process if wanted to get up for any reason. He lay on his back as he stared at the bunk above him, getting the feeling that something was different, but without his glasses he was unable to verify or refute the thought, which again involved waking Jessie up to retrieve them. His throat hurt almost as much as when he'd been electrocuted but this time it bothered him more, as it probably had to do with him having company this time, or that possibly he'd just decided he enjoyed talking to his fiancée after so long apart. He felt Jessie faintly moving beside him as her body realised her lovers' arm was no longer where it had been all night, yet she failed to awaken. He smirked half-heartedly to himself as he thought about the virgin scam he'd run with the nurse, and he began to wonder what would have happened if she'd entered in the night and caught them copulating.

      He woke up to the same sight he'd fallen asleep to, and the young male felt glad he'd been granted another opportunity to watch a naked woman opposite to him, even though it created a centralising heat to spread through his loins again. He just hoped his comrades wouldn't want to leave the bedroom for quite some time, and he prayed that the woman wouldn't change directions. He'd never seen her before but he knew that if he hadn't seen her in bed with another man he'd have made her an offer she hopefully couldn't refuse. Then again, she may be loose and would move to his bed anyway, he thought to himself, even though he knew there was a high probability of her refusing straight away and calling for help. Unfortunately for the hormonal youth, she turned around and nestled against her lover's torso, only half-awake as she did so. Still, the view of her from behind wasn't bad either.

      She sleepily kissed him at the base of his neck seeing it was the only place she could stretch high enough to reach, and she awoke properly when she felt him move back involuntarily. He apologised profusely, but yet again she felt insensitive at forgetting his immense dislike of anything touching where he'd nearly received death from a sinister contraption. She rubbed her eyes to remove her longing to return to slumber as they waited for the embarrassing moment to pass, and after what she felt like the correct time had passed she straddled his hips and kissed him properly. His heart wasn't fully in his motion, but it was fully understandable to her, and although he lacked full passion, there was strength like none she'd felt before as its replacement. He felt his desire growing so he moved Jessie back a bit whilst his eyes asked her permission to go through with it, then gratitude became visible in his expression as he received an affirmative answer. She would have done almost anything in the world to ensure his happiness at that time, yet the action he chose elated her own. They kept their noise levels down for fear of the nurse hearing them, completely unaware there were three people in the room with them, and they certainly didn't know that one of them was getting off on watching them. Afterwards, she returned to her former position and asked him how he was feeling that morning, knowing that the information would have been terribly hard for him to bear. He shrugged it off and quietly revealed his body seemed to still be in a state of shock, in addition to him not knowing how he was going to last if it didn't disappear. She didn't have a sufficient opportunity to offer her sympathy as she sat forwards abruptly and clutched her stomach, terrifying James in the process.

      "Are you okay, it's not the baby is it?"

      "I don't think so, it's probably just an atrociously sore cramp"

      "Do you think it had to do with us sleeping together? You were fine a few minutes ago" 

      "I hope not, I love making love with you and I don't want to go another two months without it. It'll pass in a minute, if it's anything like the other day" 

      He rubbed her back gently as she fought back the pain-inflicted tears breeding in her eyes, seeking comfort in his soothing touch, and she was only able to return to her former position a good few minutes after the cramps had begun. A feeling similar to warm needles repeatedly pressing in and out of her skin ensued, but in spite of all of this she was eternally glad her baby hadn't died. She ignored the sweat her body steadily released as the overwrought moment passed, feeling sick to her gullet she'd suffered from whatever it was in the first place. The bed had undoubtedly been far comfier than the last few they'd shared, but in spite of this they hadn't enjoyed it as much as they should have done due to Jessie Belle's untimely death. Jessie glanced in the general direction of the gossamer curtain covering the average-sized window but a slight movement out of the corner caught her attention, and when she turned around properly she sat up and clutched the sheet around her throat to hide her body from the person watching them. James was instantly on edge as he saw his lover acting like she was standing in the middle of a freeway at rush hour due to the panic flooding her body. He looked over in the direction she was glaring at in a futile manner given that he wasn't wearing his glasses, and he asked her to pass them to him. She remained frozen in that position so he took the small item himself, and instead of being nervous like Jessie was, anger rebounded inside him as he comprehended the invasion of privacy his girlfriend would consider the scenario, plus he hated the thought of anyone else seeing her naked bar him.

      "What the hell do you think you're doing you pervert?"

      "I…uh, I didn't see anything I swear!"

      "Like I believe you, that's my fiancée you're leering over, so you'd better explain yourself before I knock an explanation out of you"

      "You guys are getting married?"

      "Yeah, you got a problem with it?"

      "No, it's just I had no idea. I didn't mean to disrespect either of you honestly, you have my word on it"

      "Like we're going to believe you with that one, you could at least have the decency to look away now you know. If I catch you looking towards us again for even just a second you'll regret it, and I don't make idle threats, understood?"

      "Yessir"

      James heatedly glowered at Brock to make sure he'd kept his word before motioning to Jessie she should put some clothes on if they were to have any peace. She couldn't make her body move in shock at what she'd acted as a part of, so James exasperatedly leaned over her and picked up the clothes surrounding the side of the bed with great difficulty owing to the position required to do so. He almost had to physically dress her as she refused to move her hands nor cease the affixation her eyes currently held on the teenager who'd watched her having sex, maybe he'd even watched her asleep too for all she knew. She felt easier when James put a t-shirt on her as it covered half of her areas she desired to keep hidden from all people except the one she lay beside, so accordingly she used both verbal and physical methods to thank him. He suggested they went for a walk around the town to avoid comments from Brock's travelling companions that early in the morning. She instantly agreed to his logical point of view, and once they were clothed enough to do so they left the cosy centre with most of their distemper in the bedroom.

      They returned to the same bench they'd occupied the afternoon beforehand, and once they knew they were safe and alone together, they were comfortable in showing forms of affection to each other. There were a few shopkeepers scurrying around the town to sort out their merchandise before opening hours, which left the two undisturbed for quite a substantial amount of time. They both felt annoyance at spies invading their privacy as it triggered memories from the last time they'd met the twerps; nevertheless they were alone for the time being. The wind was far from gentle or kind to their tired bodies (and their souls too for that matter); in spite of this their yearning cancelled out any sense of misgivings that lay between them. James' mind was elsewhere as Jessie asked him something though she never said anything to him to make him pay attention, understanding he needed some time to speak to himself.

      Nurse Joy sat back in the chair at the reception desk with her feet carelessly stretched out, absorbing every ounce of glee in the atmosphere as she considered how easy it had been to drug the young woman the night before. A little of nebulous thyroproxine laced along the woman's lips had been all-too easy since she dealt with subtleness in her job, otherwise strong pokémon would wake up and vent their frustration out on her. Not even her fiancé had detected her presence and that was what she was most afraid of, even though she had a back-up plan regarding separating the two of them as they were supposedly innocent. She snorted to herself at the thought of them expecting her to fall for such a pathetic and completely implausible stratagem; after all, she wasn't as gentle or as brain-dead as some of her relations were. She'd given the woman just enough to threaten a miscarriage but not enough to cause one, as some of her specific orders had been. The more enjoyable part would be when they approached her later in the day for their pokémon, as they'd be shown an offer that not even they would be expected to decline. Every human has his or her weakness, and theirs were the same: each other. She arranged the pile of leaflets nicely beside the bell on the top of the desk, and she allowed herself a fluctuating giggle as she thought of what was waiting for them in the in close proximity to the present moment.

      Butch jolted forwards out of his slumber without any reason in particular provided as to why he'd done that, discomfort growing along his body as he remembered the ploy he'd completed for his employer the night before—this next idea seemed like a cruel joke to him. There was getting revenge on friends who ignored you at your time of need, and there was manipulating two lovers to act in a normal manner to their death, which was in no way acceptable in his russet eyes. He saw his employer curled up in a chair without a care in the world, and he felt anger bubbling through his heart, fully aware that Meowth was toying with him until he felt like allowing him to make contact with Cassidy. He'd be able to make her forgive him for all the times he'd disappointed her in their life as friends, and he'd make his vow of love he'd refrained from saying before now. He now had enough courage to bare every scrap of his soul to her if she so desired it, in addition to doing anything she wanted without any regard for his personal welfare. In other words, he'd do what he went through daily, only this time he'd do it gratefully for her without one word of complaint ever crossing his lips, if only for her to accept him a fraction of how he accepted her. He tried convincing himself that having her for unlimited times in his arms justified what he was a part of; yet he somehow knew deep within his heart a delusional, lovesick adolescent had created the lie.

      Giovanni awoke with a general ambience of discomfort, his sudden sense of ill boding more than a little unsettling for the man who usually had completely strong-mettle in all circumstances. He saw his secretary beside him again, causing his mind to whole-heartedly decide it was she that was unnerving him, yet he had no reason to believe something like that; she'd never posed any great threat to his life after her failed revolution attempt. He contemplated why he should wake up feeling scared like an amateur, _would it be the simplest method to destroy her now?_ No, that's the coward's way out of matters, and that's the last rumour I need spread around about me, he thought to himself. He felt sickened at her cut wrist next to his face, even though he'd stared at people he'd killed before without so much of a pang of discomfort, so why should wound that wasn't even mortal affect him like this? He'd found her beautiful, but something about the way her golden wisps rested on his abdomen heightened his sense of unease, and the smile affecting the corners of her lips made her look sinister to the unsettled male, _what was it about the woman that affected him so?_ He sought his head, heart and soul for an answer but did not get one. What should he do to remove her from the picture without ending her life or making him appear weak? Should he demote her to field work as punishment for allowing the system to be ravished by an ex-worker who shouldn't have been in the building in the first place? He got out of bed and slung her arm back to her own body, gaining no satisfaction in her grunt of pain or the movement in her face as her wrist landed in a painful position. Why, oh why did she deprive him of every incentive of pleasure in his day even when she was still asleep?

      By the time Jessie and James returned from their excursion, they noticed a crowd around the desk and decided to directly proceed to the cafeteria without disturbing the nurse needlessly. Even though he didn't want to ingest anything, he still purchased a coffee and drank it slowly as Jessie tucked into a proper meal, feeling hungry beyond belief, evidently a repercussion from being pregnant. Barely any words past their lips for the duration of their stay in the cafeteria as both of their minds were concentrated on what the old woman had threatened them with the day before. Brock spying on them faded into unimportance, as it was something that didn't really cause them to live in constant worry for the safety of their child. He rested his hand on her thigh as she ate, not conscious of doing it but she was, and as she swallowed each bite she remembered how frightened how afraid she'd been as she saw thick blood coming out of James' mouth. He remembered it too because he flinched at every sip of his coffee he swallowed, hoping he wasn't obvious to her, even though she noted his discomfort by instinct more than anything else. When she was finished she leaned against him, still in relative silence compared to how fervently they usually spoke when they were granted some time alone together without any disturbances. He snapped himself out of his profound thoughts and kissed her on her cheek, apologising for his distant behaviour that morning, even though she already knew why his thoughts were preoccupied without any excuse. He felt hungry but couldn't bring himself to eat (he hadn't even been able to make himself drink all of the coffee he'd ordered and consequently given it to her to finish) yet the touch of her fingers interlinked with his made him feel happier with the knowledge she was safe. They agreed they should move out of the pokémon centre if not the town that day, not because of they despised where they were, but mainly because they didn't want to risk being seen by anyone, and to change towns twice was reducing the possibility of being caught by someone tailing them by a long shot. Maybe this time they'd find a place where they would remain unnoticed from the villagers for the most part of their stay, unlike here where a mere boy had invaded their privacy throughout an intimate moment. Jessie felt the same power in his kiss as she had felt that morning; she wasn't sure if she liked it or not as it was more gratifying, yet she didn't like the source of its existence. They were interrupted by a nearby noise and this triggered an emotion in James that she did not easily recognise—was it anger, or perhaps a trace of fear as it reminded him of when they were frequently watched by people? Brock stood beside their table with a small box in his hand, looking thoroughly abashed as he became speechless, despite having memorised a speech to show his apologetic nature. James' voice was unusually harsh as he spoke, but more so because of the tone he used rather than the disability from which he suffered.

      "What is it?"

      "I…uh…what I mean is…"

      "Are you always this silver-tongued, or do you only think of excuses when you're taking advantage of a free porn show?"

      "It wasn't like that, I swear! I didn't intend to do it, it just happened"

      "Yeah, a woman was on view so you took advantage of the situation. It was an accident that your eyes stayed in the direction the whole time; do you know what I could do to you for that? She's not an ad hoc slut to be stared at you debauched moron"

      "I didn't say she was, I'm entirely in the wrong and I hope you accept this gift as a token of my regret for this morning. If I can help you in anything, just name it"

      "Why do you think we need your help?"

      "Calm down honey. Thank you, but you didn't need to get us anything, it wasn't done out of malice. We forgive you Brock"

      "Huh? How do you know my name? I don't remember telling you it"

      "We've known each other long enough so it's not too hard to remember it"

      "But I hadn't seen you before this morning, so what do you mean?"

      "You had, imperceptive cock-wit"

      "He doesn't mean that, but I'll aid you. We used to follow you and your comrades daily trying to steal your pokémon"

      "NO WAY! If you are who I think you are then…"

      "Happy reunion"

      "But you look so—different—for want of a better word, and your voice is…"

      "That's it, Jess I'll see you in the bedroom"

      Her protests for him not to leave her were ignored and he stalked out of the cafeteria with her looking after him, feeling upset that his anger seemed to be less under his control that morning, even though she sympathised with him whole-heartedly. Brock took the seat that James had been occupying but he wisely chose neither to not sit as close to her as her lover had, nor did he touch her. Jessie brought herself back into reality and engaged in genial conversation with the youth who'd stolen their privacy that morning.

      "Don't mind him, we've a lot on our plate at the moment and it's been hard to deal with, that's all"

      "Does it have to do with Weezing?"  
      "Not directly, but we've gone through crap lately so it might be on his mind, I'm not sure"

      "Can I help you with anything?"

      "Thanks, but there's nothing you can do to help us, and if you don't mind I don't want to discuss it right now. How are you?"

      "That's fine by me, I don't wish to pry into your life or anything. I'm okay, Ash has nearly enough badges to enter another league now"

      "Really? He's been given more time to gather them now we're not bothering you anymore I guess"

      "Yeah, and why is that? Was it the way he tried arresting you on your birthday?"

      "Nope, neither of us work for Team Rocket anymore. The pay was too bad and we reached our breaking point"

      "That's not the real reason, is it?"

      "No. Neither of us resigned formally, we just never showed up at the building again. Nothing could attract us back at this stage in our lives"

      "I thought you couldn't live after you left—I heard a rumour about that once"

      "So did I, but we're still here so there mustn't have been too much truth to it. I think he wasn't too worried about our lives anyway, he treated us badly enough when we were there, so why should he pay people to locate the losers he hated?"

      "He hated you?"  
      "He hated James, he lus…he had very different feelings towards me"

      "He wanted you?"

      "He always gets what he wants"

      "Well, you're an exception then!"

      "Wrong, he got exactly what he wanted from me"

      "You mean he…did he have…?"

      "He raped me, okay?"

      "I'm sorry for you to have gone through that, I really am. Have you seen him since it happened?"

      "No, not that it really matters. There have been others"

      "Does James know about you being…you know?"  
      "The word is raped, Brock. It's hard to talk about it so at least get it right. We split up after it happened for almost six months; he knows very little about what happened to me in that time. I don't even know what went on in some of the times in question"

      "Six months? That's an awfully long time, was it because someone else slept with you?"

      "No; when I was raped, he was having sex with an old flame at the same time"

      "In the same room?"

      "No, and I found out though he didn't admit it. It's in the past, we're trying to forget the reasons why we didn't work out, his unfaithfulness included"

      "Did he forgive your unfaithfulness?"

      "I wasn't unfaithful, I wasn't even willing in the act but he was. He enjoyed every second of it I'll bet," she said bitterly, still hurt he'd slept with Tyra again in the last week.

      "I'd say you're just glad to have the three of you going around without any rules now though, right?"

      "How did you guess I was pregnant? It's not obvious is it?"  
      "You're with child? Congratulations, I had no idea! I was merely referring to you, James and Meowth being able to live without Team Rocket's restraining system, surely you didn't enjoy tailing us for a couple of years"  
      "It wasn't so bad as we had worse missions over the years, but just to let you know Meowth's dead too. It happened the day we split up"

      "Oh no, that's terrible, I feel like I'm really putting my foot in it, bringing up all of these bad memories for you. I'm sincerely sorry for your loss"

      "Thanks Brock, but you're only speaking what I think about daily. It wasn't the reason why we parted in case you were going to ask, and I miss the pokémon something rotten. He was our close friend for years and now we can't even speak to him."

      She began crying as she said the end of the sentence, and although he comforted her with his best efforts, there was nothing that can heal the void that grew in her heart every time she thought about what a terrible life both her and James had led.

      In the bedroom, James had finished packing their belongings and waited silently for his fiancée to return. He inwardly flinched every time he used the term fiancée, as it reminded him of his former girlfriend's death and he desperately wanted to be over it more than anything else at that time. Why did he have to ring her just before he got married? Because if I didn't, I'd feel guilty for eloping without her knowing it He knew a wedding was the last thing he felt like, but he knew within his heart that if he didn't marry Jessie before their daughter was born, chances were they wouldn't have it for a year or two afterwards. They mightn't even bother with it at all, which at that moment was a suitable option to him, but he could never go through with it, as it was something Jessie really wanted. He detected body heat beside him and he knew at once it wasn't the woman he wanted to have near him in spite of not gracing the person with so much as a courtesy glance.

      "James? It is you, isn't it? Talk to me please"

      "You must have me mistaken with some other guy"

      "Are you sure? You look an awfully lot like a person I mean. He used to work in T--"

      "I don't work in Team Rocket, okay? Now will you leave me alone and play with kids your own age"

      "It IS you, otherwise you wouldn't have known I was going to say Team Rocket! How about—"

      "Leave me alone before I do something you'll regret, and trust me on this: my patience is wearing extremely thin. Get away from me now"

      Misty left the bed with tears forming at her eyes faster than his dismissal had, she didn't know why he wouldn't even talk to her as they'd been friends the last time they'd met. It felt like a kick to her front teeth; she knew he loved Jessie but his rejection for any form of communication with her stung more than the time she'd lost her temper with Ash one too many times and he'd hit her. Hard. Part of her relief (and ecstasy) of seeing James had originated in her desire to speak to someone besides Brock as she consequently said very little to her other partner. How she ever fancied Ash in the first place was a complex thought unknown to her now. James felt no remorse at his harsh dismissal of the younger adolescent since she was the one to disturb his thoughts, not the other way around. He hadn't bothered looking at her as he harshly told her to leave, but it was only as he dwelt on this issue that he wondered whether or not he was treating Jessie fairly in their relationship if his attitude was an impregnable fortress. He took a crimson tablet out of his pocket and swallowed it without liquid, feeling revolted as the terrible taste of iron and vitamin c (to help ensure the iron is properly absorbed) entered his body. His mood was almost entirely different when he felt someone else join him on the bed, and without saying anything, he leant forward and kissed his fiancée on her lips, grateful his instinct had served him correctly. His abnormal power seemed to have crumbled away from him altogether for the time being, and when they were finished with their display of affection, he guided her out of the room with their belongings equally distributed between them.

      In the main lobby, they saw the crowd around the desk had dissipated and discovered the reason for the rush—there was a pokémon battle tournament entering a neighbouring city the next day where the winner's trophy would be presented by a famous movie star and everyone wanted to make sure their creatures were the most likely to win. James paid and collected their pokémon now they were finished their treatment, and he noticed the nurse was looking at them curiously, his instant thought being she'd heard something from the night before, or indeed from that morning for that matter. He casually asked her if he could assist her with anything, her smile revealing nothing for the few moments she remained silent; she inwardly wondered to what extent of naivety they felt she'd reached owing to their lies. She performed the mandatory transaction of taking cash in payment, and she waited until they'd nearly left the desk before calling them back and pointed out the leaflets beside the bell. Jessie took one up and her eyes scanned the page quickly, and felt euphoric when she saw what was being offered; any newly-wedded couple were allowed to stay in the honeymoon suite in the most expensive and renowned hotel in the county for one night free of charge when they presented the strictly limited coupon, one of which was in her hand. She passed it to James, patiently waiting for him to finish, as his eyesight was no longer as efficient as it once was, and when he'd finished they both bombarded the nurse with questions regarding how to redeem it.

      "It's simple, you turn up at the hotel and present this form, and then the offer is in play, provided you meet the demands required before the thirty-first of this month. Proof will need to be delivered of course"

      "Are you sure they won't ask for any fees? It's just we're saving our money and don't want to lose it needlessly"  
      "It's straight-forward with no catches or fine print. There are only five of these coupons in this town, if I were you I'd take it and think about it, and if you don't want it just give it to someone who does"

      "Are you sure it's alright for us to just take one?"

      "Certainly, the competition's nearly over now anyway. Have a nice day!"

      She waited until they were clear of the lobby before adding 'Who's the naïve fool now?' as she scrunched up the other leaflets in case some other affianced couple saw them. That wouldn't do at all.

                                                                     **

      Team Rocket Headquarters, Giovanni's private offices, 12:32hours…

      Lindsey lay back on Giovanni's bed, wearing little more than what she'd woken up in, filing her nails meticulously as she felt her boss looking at her moves. Every so often she'd move her legs to see him flinch as he saw her exposed body, gaining understated pleasure each time she did. He was staring at her like a hawk from the expensive armchair she'd rested in the day before, fully clothed, and he was still uncertain why she affected him in this manner. He couldn't draw his eyes into another direction no matter how hard he tried, yet he did not wish to watch her body any more than he wanted to be in the room alone with her. He could leave at any stage as it was his property, but something in her eyes stopped him from moving even an inch away from his chair. It wasn't threatening yet he felt insecure and genuinely afraid for the first time in what could be the whole of his adulthood. She put the file down carelessly when she was finished with it, stretching to relieve her back of the terrible ache possessing it; for a man of his wealth, he should be capable of affording a decent bed. When she opened her eyes, he was on top of her, the look of a madman in his eyes as he held her tightly beneath him, telling her not to get any ideas and he could eliminate her at any time. She struggled slightly as his grip was tight and unforgiving, but instead of breaking free she got into a more comfortable position for him to have sex with her, figuring he just wanted to prove his dominance. When he saw her inclinations, he broke out in a cold sweat and left the room without looking back, fearing her with no apparent cause, which disquieted him further. Lindsey released a huge grin and brushed a few hairs off her face carefully as she realised she knew something that everyone else did not: she had full power over him and he couldn't hurt her, as much as he tried. She released a globule of her pleasure in a laugh as she gathered her clothes, feeling next to invincible as she thought to what extent the knowledge would lead.

      Jessie and James sat at the bus stop, discussing the possibilities of getting married just to avail of a special offer, and whether or not it was morally correct. Jessie really wanted to get married and James didn't; they wanted to save money and this would remove a gargantuan lump of their costs yet give them something to remember. They didn't know where they intended heading on the next bus, but they seemed almost certain they'd travel to the city where the offer would take place, and then when they were safely in it they could make their final decision regarding their marital status. James was acting distant again and Jessie came to the terrible conclusion that this was the first time she hadn't been jealous of Jessie Belle when he ignored her to think of her. She'd been highly conscious of touching his throat since her mistake that morning when they were in bed, now she was trying her hardest to show she loved him without annoying him in any way. A bus to the city they wanted to visit pulled up thirty-five minutes later and they boarded it as giddily as they could be in such a situation, and James accepted the tickets to Mallow City from the driver whilst Jessie headed for the back seats again. The bus was mainly empty with almost nobody near them nevertheless, they chose not to act as hormonally as they'd done when the kids on the bus had watched them kiss and fondle each other passionately. He kissed her with as much feeling he could muster, but he was haunted with the last time he'd kissed Jessie Belle every time he did, and he could lucidly remember the cuts and wounds spread over her body from her attackers' malice. Marrying Jessie at this time was almost the last thing he felt like doing, but letting her down was another thing that wasn't altogether appealing to the confused youth.

      Tyra wandered aimlessly around the village that afternoon, reflecting on hurtful memories that frequently stung her thoughts and dreams since the dates they'd happened. She kept her business to herself almost to the extent of walking into Jessie's clear line of vision when they were sitting at the bus shelter. James seemed fazed out and was staring at the ground (she wasn't certain but it looked like he wasn't listening to a word Jessie was saying), judging by the other woman's abrupt end of speech, it seemed exceedingly likely her theory was correct. She stopped and hurriedly turned around with her face at an angle that only those scrutinising her and found her very familiar would be able to recognise her. Hopefully Jessie was not inclined to be one of those people. Much to her relief, her prayer was answered and she remained unnoticed. She took a route behind some pretty trees and loitered at a particularly dense area before watching them without fear of being sighted by anyone, but it was in fact she that saw the crimson crosshairs pinpointed on the most penetrable area on Jessie's back. She knew at once that if the trigger were pulled the pregnant woman would die without being aware of it as the person targeting her was exact and the colour had failed to waver in the time she'd seen it. She shot a furtive glance in the direction the thin layer of ruby laser originated but horror flowed down her veins like an icy blast when she saw the woman's future mother-in-law was the one with the precise aim. The most modern rifle available (not even set to be on sale to the national defences for another seven years) rested in her hand and her arm was steady, which spooked Tyra as it meant the crosshairs' lack of movement had not been aided with the use of a tripod as most experts would use. I'm not involved, it's not my problem any more she said to herself as she walked away from the potentially disastrous situation, and without looking back she knew Jessie had not been killed as the bus pulled up, as there had not been any screams of panic from James at his lover's demise. She walked away to save her feelings, to save her life, feeling that her battle and life as an assassin truly over, and that was the last time she'd see them. She felt no remorse in the fact, the less she knew about them the safer she'd be, yet she didn't know she'd meet and speak with them one last time on unfriendly terms.

      Ash, Brock and Misty walked towards the city that held the upcoming tournament; the only person listening to Ash babbling on about how he was going to be the winner was Pikachu. Brock's mind kept returning to what Jessie had revealed to him in the cafeteria earlier, and no matter how often he thought about her, he felt she wasn't the same person he used to watch lustfully from a distance. It wasn't just her appearing physically different, nor was it the fact she was with child, it was more to do with her general disposition; she looked like she'd been to hell and back, admitted it, and the sparkle about her was almost completely gone. Jessie had never told him what was wrong with James for him to act like that, plus it would have been severely rude for him to ask her such a question bluntly. He'd been genuinely sad and surprised to hear her sexual life had gone to the doldrums in the worst circumstances imaginable, though he wished she hadn't suffered so much when she was on her own—it obviously propelled her misery and helplessness into the abyss. Misty ignored Ash as usual, clutching Togepi closely against her chest as she whispered to the chirping creature; the atmosphere was irreversibly reticent as it had been for months, and her heart was almost broken to smithereens when she pondered James' harsh rejection for her request for him to talk to her, as he was one male she felt she could trust like she had done in the past. Neither she nor Brock told Ash about their roommates' identities, feeling it would be for the best if he didn't launch an attack on a woman who'd broken his nose, especially due to her condition. 

      Butch had also been watching the young couple leave the lethargic town, feeling jealousy and anticipation together in his heart; he would soon have his Cassidy resting in his arms, but until that point he'd suffer envy at the couple who openly knew they loved each other. When they left he also did, but he wasn't leaving the municipality; he was returning to his employer in the pokémon centre to verify to both him and the malevolent nurse they'd fallen for the bait. The only reason he did this job was owing to the knowledge he'd have Cassidy safely back in his life at the end of the week, if he complied fully with every demand set. Meowth was happily sitting on the top of the desk with his tail swinging off the end of the wood as he spoke freely with the young woman. Whenever the chansey emerged from the patients' rooms they took it in turns to shoot it the meanest glare available and told it what to do to itself until it left the lobby in tears. If Meowth were human, he'd probably want her as a girlfriend but he wasn't and his rebirth left him with a new set of thoughts telling him what was and was not important to him in his life. When Butch entered the quaint building, he heard a baleful demand for him to arrange their car to the city after his former friends, to which the frightened youth complied without question. Meowth politely told Joy it had been an utmost pleasure for him to work with her, which was strangely to an extent very sincere, and her reply was also shockingly heart-felt. He touched her hand with the pads of his paw before soundlessly leaving to see what form of transport Butch had stolen for them to use. His friends were going to regret leaving him to die in that hospital, he'd make sure of that if it was the last thing he completed in his ninth life.

      Mallow City, 18:28 hours…

      Jessie and James trudged up the steep hill in the conurbation to the hotel awaiting for them; it was the cheapest in the whole area and easily met their sanitary requirements, as it would be highly dangerous to put Jessie in to a room that was habitually neglected. James wasn't bothered about where they slept as long as it was better than the days when they resorted to sleeping on children's toys in a playground without anything to eat. The hotel itself was extremely welcoming and had an ambience that emanated no reminders of their previous ordeals. The middle-aged woman working at the desk was cheerful as she accepted their money for a double room for them to share for the night, and although they weren't married or in the honeymoon suite, the passion flickered between them at every step they took. When they got to their room, James put the key beside them on the bed as he pressed her body beneath his own, his desires fully exposed to her as she exposed something of her own to him. They couldn't compare that session to any other they'd ever shared; his power was still in his body but this time his love had been completely undiluted too unlike the night before, and the combination of the two created an unexplainable change in their love-making, for the better. Her energy was spent whereas his was not, and although she greatly enjoyed what he was doing to her to get her passion back to the level it had just been, she reluctantly pushed him away and told him he'd tired her out too much for the time being. He ceased his actions and kissed her deeply, explaining he'd get a shower whilst she recovered, leaving her feeling upset that she didn't have the strength to join him, especially when his melancholic attitude seemed to have disappeared. She requested he opened the window as he passed it as her body had to lose a lot of its present heat if he wanted her to ever get enough strength back, and he obliged her without complaint as he left for the en suite. She closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep (she hadn't been joking when she said she simply didn't have enough vigour or stamina for another chance to have sex with him). She felt uncomfortably clement in spite of it almost being April, so her temperature acted as an aid to allow her smooth, undisturbed sleep. She never noticed Meowth entering the room through the window she'd wanted opened for her, equipped with more than the razor sharp claws that were responsible for killing Cassidy and cutting Elora's throat…

                        ~*~*~*AN*~*~*~

      I've put relatively few author's notes at the end of the chapters in this story, but hey we all like exceptions! This one is dedicated specifically to the person known as Kayla who felt like flaming me on this chapter of this story, and you can contact her on Wiccan_Witch_1987@hotmail.com, should you wish to advise her on how to use words a little more eloquent than those she chose. There are three words that should never be used in a judgment if you wish to be taken seriously: good bad or stupid. The first two may be justified with reason, the latter cannot. But now, boys and girls, we get a fourth word to the list! Instead of pointing out my flaws as a writer, she merely produced a remark saying 'This story is gay'. The backing evidence to support her comment: 'VERY VERY GAY.' Her advise on how I should improve? 'You need to get a life. and a dildo.' Note the lack of a capital letter, and it's my story that's bad? She can't even write four sentences without spelling mistakes. Who says I have or have not the desire to vent sexual frustrations with a sex toy, and who says I'm heterosexual and/or wanton teenager? Obviously I have a life as I am typing this, unless, am I a ghost whose only purpose is to write extremely 'gay' prose? By your choice of words, are you a homophobe? Anyone who knows me personally can clearly tell you that I hold no interest with such attempts at caustic remarks and they do little more than give me an excuse to dedicate nice little passages to them. I've been almost dead twice, am I meant to curl up and die after reading that? Fat chance, I'm here to stay.


	11. 30th March, 2001

                                                 Friday, March 30th 2001

      Jessie awoke to an empty bed at around nine in the morning, causing her to feel initially worried as she felt her lover had left her for someone else. She scathingly told herself that wasn't a possibility as far as James was concerned, and sure enough, she could hear movement around the cosy room they'd rented. When he'd finished in the shower the night before, she'd woken up and felt increasingly thirsty, assuming it was merely due to the over-passionate sex she'd partaken in, unaware that it was due to the concoction of nebulous thyroproxine and a light poison Meowth had laced her lips with that created her abnormal desire for liquids. James had given her a large glass of water she'd downed almost instantly, but after that the unnatural thirst had vanished and she'd felt revitalised enough to give James what he'd wanted before his shower, also ignorant of the fact the culmination of the two in her system was activated through a raise in body temperature and aided in its efficiency with fluids. Her mouth felt drier than it had the night before and her stomach was suffering from cramps, which she assumed was due to the position she'd slept in and nothing serious to worry about. When she stood up her head was spinning from the audacious poison invading her system, causing her walk to be changed into more of a swagger as she began the search for her fiancé.

      She easily saw him, from both the lack of places for him to be in a hotel room and from the sounds of him preparing something in the cooking area. He kissed her lightly on her lips, deliberately teasing her, as she clearly wanted more from him at that stage. He wanted her too, but he'd always been the better at denying the other person pleasure until they were at the peak of their frustration, and it often made for more enjoyment when the game ended. He handed her the breakfast he'd made for her as she mock-protested at his lack of enthusiasm, then proclaimed his undying love for her, feeling that they hadn't exchanged their feelings often enough this time around—was it for the better or worse they didn't? She returned his avowal with the same level of zealousness he'd used and she ate the food to help rid her of the sharp headache presently bothering her. He knew something was wrong and massaged her shoulders as she ate to try and relieve her of whatever tormented her, praying it was not he irking her. He wanted to mourn Jessie Belle's death more than anything, but still his body denied him to ability to show emotion, and the growing tension in his heart made him feel a liability to the one he wanted to love. Something else had struck his mind in the night whilst she slept; if Jessie Belle had contracted HIV from her rapist, and one of the same people had raped Tyra afterwards, what if James had contracted the same disease the second time he'd slept with her?

      Tyra sat uneasily on a bench that was half-concealed yet had a perfect view of the hotel where her former lover and his spouse resided. She hadn't slept once for the duration of the night, owing to a brief collision with Meowth and Butch the day before, where they'd informed her she'd better hurry up to where Jessie and James where headed to certify she reached them before they did. Her vow never to see them again was broken within five minutes of making it, and she'd noticed the feline entering a window in the night. She'd stayed there all night to make sure paramedics and hearses were unnecessary and now, thirteen hours later, she decided nothing would have happened, otherwise either the teenagers themselves or members of the hotel staff would already be aware of the situation. She stretched languorously, feeling more than a little stiff from staying stock-still for over half a day, but felt almost proud in the knowledge she hadn't felt even remotely drowsy once. The cat had maliciously mouthed a snide comment in her direction on his way away from the hotel room, knowing full well that she could lip-read flawlessly. She hadn't lowered herself to his standards by showing how pathetic she was through sending idle taunts back in his direction to make herself feel better—she hadn't sunk that low in the past and would never (if she had her way) in the future. She shakily stood up and at once the drowsiness overthrew her thoughts; now she was certain the danger zone had passed, her ability to stay awake vanished. She turned her back to the hotel and walked along the city streets, looking for somewhere that served cheap food with quick service to ensure she didn't fall asleep whilst the threat of her former friends' impending death grew heavily in the air…

      Jessie was having a shower as James sat on the bed deep in thought, frantic at the idea of him carrying HIV and being a threat to his fiancée—if he deprived her again she'd probably leave him permanently this time, and if he didn't they could put their daughter at risk. He found it hard to believe he didn't think about this the instant he knew of Jessie Belle's death, knowing that if he discussed the topic with Jessie she probably wouldn't forgive him, even though she'd already found out about his affair. He wouldn't care if he were HIV positive in any other circumstances via his judgement saying he got what he deserved for playing away, but if he was, there was more than just his life to think about. He ran his fingers through his hair and agitatedly sighed; if his eyesight had been at its normal quality, he could have noticed the thin trail of a clear white powder beside his fiancée's pillow, or the prints the pads on Meowth's paws left on the otherwise immaculate glass of the window.

      In the shower, Jessie hugged her abdomen as she squatted with her back against the wall; the cramps attacking her stomach were simply unbearable at this stage. She bit her lip as hard as she was capable of doing to stop her crying out and alerting James of her fear without making herself bleed (the ruby liquid of vitality would be the last thing she'd need to see at a fragile time like this). It ended as quickly as it began, leaving her shaking in terror as the terribly familiar sweat appeared on her back, the tears rolling freely now the danger had passed. The water pooled around her ankles and she took the strain off her joints by sitting in the water and allowing the tepid fluid to remove the pain stinging her from the inside. She reassured herself that it was probably something all mothers went through and it only hit her hard now she wasn't working for people she hated anymore, even though she was more afraid than the other two times the cramps viciously launched a battle against her system. If she lost the baby, James would hate her and leave her for Tyra again, only this time it'd be permanent if she had nothing to keep him interested in their relationship. She didn't use it as an excuse for him to love her, but the fear of him leaving her would be too terrible if she didn't have a baby either—the fact she was pregnant was the only thing that kept her from committing suicide when she was stuck in the life she hated. With a strength she did not know she possessed, she stood up, turned the water off and began to dry herself with a towel without any evidence of her inner trembling. Although she felt proud she could hold her hand out without it shaking, her whole body shuddered in fear as she urinated in case the cramp turned into something more serious in that position even though it didn't. She exited the en suite wearing only the towel and sat on James' lap then kissed him gently as he looked worried—could he have heard her? No, she told herself, I didn't make enough noise for him to work it out. She loved the teasing nature of his fingers running over her cool, damp skin, yet both knew there was no heat in either of their loins at that time. She passionately kissed him again and then said in a similar tone to the equally seductive tone he used to answer her with:

      "Fancy measuring me up?"

      "To eat you?"  
      "Well, you could do that if you wanted that, but I was thinking more along the lines for a wedding dress you promised me"

      He grinned before kissing her with the passion they both wanted, feeling the heat arriving at full force now, both teenagers ignoring their inner fears. The measuring could wait another twenty minutes or so.

      Butch lay across the back seats of the car they used to get there, feeling utterly exhausted after a hard morning's work. He hadn't slept in over forty-eight hours plus the work was tearing at his knowledge of what was true and what was a mere dream. Meowth was out lacing the finishing touches to their plan, and he was not looking forward to when the plot came to a boil in the next few days. If they didn't fall for the wedding scam, there was a back-up plan to trouble them mercilessly and if Cassidy weren't such an important factor to him, Butch would not partake in any of it. He just wanted to hold her and tell her how much he loved her, and that from there on in, nothing could ever hurt them or come between them ever again. 'It's only a few more days, then we'll be together without Meowth's threatening us' he thought to himself, convincing himself to continue if he wanted to see her as soon as possible. He closed his eyes wearily; sleep perpetually evading him although he knew he'd be alone for at least another two hours, as the cat would need to make quite a number of people in the mood to aid them in order for this nasty section of the plot to be successful. He'd never understand what fuelled the cat's detestation to this extent, but the less he knew the better off he was, in his eyes anyway. Sleep haunted him when it did arrive, as it was filled with nightmares revolving around Cassidy when she'd woken from the coma and nearly died. Of course if she _were _dead, she would be unable to return to him, but Meowth had promised her safety so she must be fine. Right?

      Giovanni snapped at the failing workers more than usual all day, feeling as equally pleasant as his face was to look at. His thoughts and feelings were still going haywire, and nothing could remove this state of indecision his body tormented him with, including diminishing the confidence and spirits of his younger workers. Of course, hitting weaker members of his workforce was always fun, but where was the reason for his total lack of enjoyment in his actions these days? Was it because he'd been disfigured and not yet punished the one responsible, or was it something to do with his secretary? Whenever he thought of that woman he felt two emotions strong in his body, and he was one person that one could hardly describe as emotive. One of them was instant rage, but it was completely impossible for him to name the other; his rage was explainable, as she'd failed and defied him many times in the past, but why was he feeling something alongside it? And what the hell was the feeling that dared infiltrate his mind without his permission or understanding? He'd sent Lindsey back to work at the code merely to get her well away from his personal quarters, yet when he'd contemplated forcing his failing female staff into sex or sexual favours, he felt unable to do it, yet it would have removed some of his build up frustration. He couldn't even bring himself to drink anything of an alcoholic nature as he remembered sleeping with _her_ after downing two bottles of whiskey, though he was still smoking cheroots without a trace of guilt located anywhere in him. He stood up and looked out of the window with Persian casually rubbing against his legs in the duration of his pensive mode, his eyes darkening as he realised it was times like these he wished Jessie and James still worked for him: at least then he'd enjoy hurting the male via raping his girlfriend. He still smiled whenever he thought of the time he'd been successful at the formal event in September, even though he'd come out of it with a broken nose. Her delirious state where she'd almost enjoyed it until the drugs wore off had been exceptionally delightful.

      Lindsey hated not being able to crack the code James had besmirched the computer with, feeling that if she was able to break it, Giovanni would be more at her mercy than he was now, and if he was, who knew what he'd do for her. She didn't know what had caused her superior's sudden change of heart, but she was positive that it could be extremely advantageous to her if she continued acting in whatever manner she was, and if she worked hard enough, she could have him eating out of her hand. She couldn't think what had caused her change of heart towards Anthony either—perhaps it had to do with the excitement regarding a possible promotion if she kept this up, or perhaps he just wasn't as interesting as she'd fantasised him to be. Her lack of enthusiasm towards him failed to surprise her and she neither know nor cared why that were; after all, she did get the best out of both worlds this way. She felt the youth's eyes watching her from behind but she willed herself not to turn around. Whilst she easily told herself that she hated Anthony's attention, she didn't want to confront him since she hated such situations, especially when it seemed he could be a veritable back up in case her plan fell to shambles. She brandished herself a whore for sleeping with a man of authority in the name of a possible promotion, as he was more ugly than he had been a week beforehand, owing to the bomb. She sighed and brushed a copper strand behind her ear, trying to ignore her conscience and 'boyfriend's' constant staring in her direction as she returned to her work.

      Butch perked up when he saw the exact person (bar Cassidy) he wanted to see walking on the opposite side of the road. He shot up and hurriedly wrote something out on the nearest piece of paper he could see; this would certainly please the feline if he carried this out properly. Unfortunately, when he stood up in his eagerness he spilt a miniature capsule containing the next dose of nebulous thyroproxine and the powerful yet scentless liquid slid along the back of his hand. He angrily licked it off to avoid liquid being visible on his clothing since he knew no harm could come to him; he was male, meaning it was ineffective to him.

      Jessie walked alone down the bustling street that acted as the main road to Mallow City, having been evicted from their room by James, as they were both aware the dress would never get finished if she stayed around with her rising hormones. She'd never felt like this at all in her life; it seemed that she was only alive to make him happy, which pleased her greatly in the process. He knew how to satisfy her every time without fail, something she thought only happened in fantasies until she realised it was how she lived. There was a definite hurry in her step as she walked along, but it was a result of her excitement than out of anxiety; to be utterly honest she wanted the wedding over and done with so she could get back near James' bed. She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't see the person in front of her until she'd literally walked into them. She failed to hold in the gasp she released upon sighting the young male, not noticing the page balled in his loose fist. It wasn't so often you saw someone who you'd never seen eye-to-eye with in a previous occupation. She didn't like the proximity of him, and the touch of his fingers pressing gently against her forearm sent shivers all along her spine, in both extreme pleasure and disgust at the same time. Why was she acting like that? His fingers barely rested on her yet it drove her into the throes of passion and disdain, how was she feeling this for someone other than James? She blamed her hormones thoroughly before asking him what he wanted, feeling almost guilty as she engaged in conversation with him.

      "Off anywhere interesting?"

      "Nah, just meeting a friend. How've you been? It's been months since I've seen you"

      "Fine, I guess. When was the last time we met? It would have been…"

      "September, you assaulted Cassidy at the ball"

      "Yeah. I wasn't in the best of humours that time"

      "How did you recover from that? Did you go to counselling or anything?"

      "No. My life's too messed up already to fit in any extra time to talk to shrinks. I'm alive aren't I?"

      "You may be alive Jessie, but that doesn't mean you're living. There's more to surviving than getting through each day as it hits you, it may have an adverse affect on you in the future"

      "Getting raped by Giovanni? No, my life has had worse points in it than drunken unintentional sex. It's sweet of you to worry but thanks, I'm fine with it. Anything strange happened in your life?"

      "Strange? Chance'd be a fine thing, everything's so damn boring these days"

      "I know how you feel. So how is Cassidy? I suppose I really should apologise for how I used to treat her"

      "She's away with a male colleague at the moment, she'll hopefully be back soon. It's just not so fun being a criminal without her"

      "Any romantic links between you? It sounds like there's more than just friendship from the way you said that"

      "Not at the moment, though hopefully there will be"

      "Does it bother you she's gone somewhere with another man?"

      "Not really, she's on a field mission at present, and I'm used to her being away. How are you and James coping with the child?"

      "What do you mean coping with the child? What gave you that idea?"

      "Oh…I uh meant that…"  
      "Why do you think I'm pregnant if you haven't seen me in months?"

      "It's just you're not quite as slender as you usually are, and a woman of your undoubted style would hardly let themselves go when they have a figure like yours"

      Jessie was stunned, her hormones acting up, as she knew it was a comment that could be taken as either a casual remark or a pass. She was inclined to think it as the latter from the way her loins throbbed and his other hand now rested on her shoulder. Her eyes revealed her moral confusion and Butch was highly pleased he'd created a lie so quickly after his slip-up, and what was even better was that she'd read more into it than expected. This could easily conceal his error of being seen, plus it meant this additional attempt at sabotaging the betrothal could earn him some time reduction from the distance until he saw Cassidy. He took the moment whilst it was available to do something he always desired from curiosity; he kissed her. Her body was extremely tense yet she responded like she was engaged with him, not James. When he pulled away from her, she found she shook and didn't notice the page now located in her back pocket. Not that it originated from fear exactly; it was more she'd dropped her guard and been molested by a person, but she'd enjoyed it. She took a step backwards, and once he knew he was safe he turned and walked away from her, feeling that she wasn't as good as he'd thought she'd be. She wanted to call him back for more as it confounded her feelings, even though she knew it was wrong to feel like this. She loved James, didn't she? Then why did she feel like this over another guy, especially one that sounded like someone walked on his throat every second of the day? It was only ten minutes later Jessie felt the sweat gather on her back, with the all-too familiar tingle overthrowing the passion at her loins…

      Tyra walked down the main street in a bedraggled manner, having only gained a few hours' sleep in a quiet, disused part of the bustling city, feeling morose at the thought of the threats affecting her former friends' lives even though she was not responsible for it. She glanced back behind her once or twice, an oozing feeling of discomfort twisting in her stomach as it always did whenever she felt like she was unable to relax from the presence of an unwanted guest. The feeling was certified when a fan suddenly expanded to its full extent in front of her face, and as it was so unexpected, she jumped in shock as she saw the cold woman before her. Her eyes had a sprightly charm that was far from welcoming, and the young woman felt fear clutch at her throat as she looked into the dangerous pools before her. She returned the fan to its proper height and distance away from her body, each beat of it causing an icicle of panic to invade Tyra's stomach.

      "W-what do you want? Why are you here?"

      "Here in this city, or here at this very spot? It is not very ladylike to use questions as many and as vague as that. It is not proper at all"

      "I never said I wanted to be like a lady, you can't twist my back this way again"

      "Why, I have no intentions to do anything of the sort. I am in this city because my son is in that strumpet, and as long as she exists my harmony cannot. I am at this spot because I saw you and I believe we have a few matters to settle"

      "Like what? I'm not for hire, I didn't ruin the plot, that was Deryck"

      "That's not why I'm here, though it took a lot of my resources to quietly refurnish the room you both destroyed. You had one mission; kill the tramp, yet you did not. You saved his worthless life to assist you in a plot you guaranteed would work, yet he was in hospital, not a threat to anybody when I disposed of him. She lived to tell the tale and you failed to report this to me"

      "She's carrying his child, I can't kill her in such a situation"

      "You allowed her body to host more demon spawn? I do not want her anywhere in my family lineage, do you comprehend that?"

      "I'm sorry, but I'm not under your orders anymore, nor do I intend to resume life as it was. James hated me after what you did, and nothing can change his feelings towards me for that betrayal"

      "You can't seriously expect my son to marry someone like you, do you? Where is your status?"  
      "He'll never marry me because of you, though he might have done without your psychotic attitude. He is old enough to screw or marry whoever he sees fit and there's nothing you can do about it"

      Her dangerous opponent opened her fan again and a warning click snapped through the air as a weapon of some sort was activated. Her eyes never narrowed but the threat was obvious to Tyra; although she wanted it a lot these days, she didn't want to lose her life here and now. Not to her.

      "I'm not afraid of you, and he probably isn't either. He's still sleeping with the one you told him not to, so he obviously doesn't see you as a threat. You can chop up his pokémon as often as you get a slave to steal them, but he's still in love with her. She welcomed him when you rejected his choice; it's always her he'll care about. He made that clear after he engaged in coitus with me"

      "You dared to defile my son, in spite of the duties you were given to perform?"

      "I was not working for you at the time, so I did not see it like a disobedient manner. He brought it on; he was not defiled in any manner. It was consensual both times, so if you really want to give him the sex talk you would have hired someone to tell him on who is and is not proper to fuck before he ran away from your iniquitous control, go find him now before he gets a third woman pregnant"

      "You're tainting my line too? What must I do for decent children? I've already disposed of his weak father, I'm not afraid to eliminate you before you bring shame to my excellent name…"

      "Excellent? You dispose of everyone that stands before you, yet you denounce a woman trying to make ends meet through stealing. Your crime is by far a worse felony, so you are by far the worse woman. Oh and, just before I leave, are you aware that she's slept around and probably has more diseases than there are pokémon, each time with James a risk of giving him a fatal virus? Is VD respectable enough for your prestigious line? Take care old woman, maybe one day you'll realise what you threw away for him. I know I do"

      As Tyra turned away, her opponent released the switch on her fan before turning down the street in search of either her son or his sewer rat fiancée, ready to punish them both for their disobedience. They would never stop ruing their torrid affair if what her former worker's words were true. Never.

      James applied the finishing touches to the dress, knowing the measurements to be exact from all the years he spent being measured up by tailors whenever a new exquisite suit was required for some function or another. He couldn't wait to see what she'd look like in it, even though the thought of marriage stung his memories of unwanted years of engagement to Jessibelle, though he wished they'd kept touch a bit better up until her death. It was still hard to accept; his body felt like hardened stone, as he hadn't reacted to her death in any manner that would be considered healthy or normal. He felt like he betrayed her memory each time he made love with Jessie; a twist of the knife in the late girl's back, each twist more painful as his libido was up for some reason. He was snapped out of his reveries when he heard someone rushing up the stairs, and it alerted him to his senses as he thought there was something unwanted occurring out there. He opened the door and was drawn back when he saw it was Jessie running up in a hurry and crashed into his torso without noticing until it was too late. The momentum carried them both to the ground, which turned out to be rather painful for James, but he waited until she stopped massaging her temples before asking her what was wrong. Her body continued to tremble as she began to speak, so to ease her fraught sense of being he ran his fingers gently through her hair and comforted her as best he could.

      "James I'm really sorry for scaring you like this, but I felt liquid between my legs and I thought something was wrong with our baby. When I realised it wasn't blood, the shock kicked in again and I just felt so afraid. I needed you"

      "I'm here Jess, it's okay. How are you feeling now, has the liquid stopped?"  
      "Yes, but it gave me such a scare. I don't want to lose her"

      "Shhhh, you're fine now, I'm not going to let anything happen to you as long as I'm around. What were you doing at the time?"

      She fell silent, knowing that if she gave an answer it would either give light to something she'd rather keep hidden, and if she didn't, it would be more like she was hiding something from him, an essence ready to taint the marriage that had yet to take place. Would he still marry her if she told the truth?

      "Seriously, are you okay?"

      "Sorry, I was a bit spaced out for a second. If I tell you something do you promise not to get really mad at me?"

      "What is it?"

      "Promise me first"

      "Does it affect our relationship?"

      "Yes, but only if you let it"

      "Did you sleep with someone?"  
      "NO! I can't believe you thought I'd do something like that"

      "Sorry Jess but the past isn't really on your side, hence the reason I thought the worst. Sorry"

      "You're the one who screwed someone else consensually whilst we were together"

      "I know that, and I'm sorry again for making it sound like an accusation. What is it then?"

      "Promise?"

      "Fine, I promise, now what is it?"  
      "I was walking along, minding my own business until I walked into Butch. We were talking and before I knew it he'd tried to kiss me. I kissed back and I don't know why I did, I wish I hadn't. Nothing serious happened, he left and I didn't follow him if that's what you're wondering"

      "Did he touch you?"

      "No, he just touched my shoulders"

      "Why?"

      "Why? I don't know, maybe he found me attractive or…"

      "I meant why did you let him, not why he did it"

      "I didn't let him as such, it was more…"

      "Oh, so you stopped him did you?"

      "Not exactly"

      "Anything else happen I should know about?"

      "Nothing, I swear. I came here pretty much as soon as it happened. Are you mad at me?"

      "A bit, but at least you're honest. Nothing like this is to come into our marriage though, okay? If either of us cheats again then it's through. It just wouldn't be fair to continue a life of loving, cheating and apologising. To us or our daughter"

      "You're not dumping me are you? James I mean it when I said nothing happened"

      "I believe you. Just get up so I can get some feeling back in my legs first though!"

      He stood up shakily, as the way she'd crashed into his legs caused pain to revisit him from when his former friends had ambushed him during the last year. He closed the door to avoid any further stares at their position from strangers, inwardly seething that Jessie had kissed another man whilst he'd been preparing her dress. All of this doubt and disdain vanished the instant he saw the look on her face as she picked up the gown. Although her voice gushed thanks in a fluid pattern for his work, he read sincerity in the way her eyes lit up, and he also saw her feeling excitement conjoined with ecstasy, and it was this that made him certain that she wasn't lying with her words. She carefully lay it back down before turning around and kissing him passionately, neither of them thinking about the slight rift that had happened between them mere moments beforehand. Just like they'd require time apart for it to be made successfully, they decided that the time apart required for alterations to be made could wait until their hormones calmed down again.

      She energetically fanned herself with the very instrument used to relieve both her former worker and husband of their lives whilst glancing out across the view gracing her eyes. Her face did not wrinkle once in her frustration at her heir's poor quality of spouses, but then again nobody could equal the wedding she'd planned for him from an early age. Choosing his mother for an enemy was one move he'd soon learn to regret, as he didn't appear to fear her presence already. Something Tyra had taunted her with prickled inside her thoughts, which was surprising since she cared little for anybody other than herself and her lineage. _You dispose of everyone that stands before you; you are by far the worse woman._ She was not aware as to why she should feel so irate from a comment that passed the lips of a woman nowhere near as respectable nor as prestigious as she, yet it still stung her in a way she'd never before experienced. It wasn't her fault she wanted to ensure her child's life was fine; it was her now deceased husband's. The older man her parents had betrothed her to, telling her to think of the family before her derision. She'd almost caused her family to become erased from all social gatherings from an incident that was not her fault at all. Yet she was the one to be chastised and therefore it was her duty to ensure her son took the same responsibility when deciding his wife and ultimately his child-vessel.

      Her then-fiancé, had become outrageously drunk on fine mead one night and slept with her in such an improper manner—she had still been a few years away from the age of consent, but more horrifically they had not been married at the time. It had taken years of isolation for them to carry off their child without being ostracized from social gatherings permanently. It was for this reason she'd always wanted a son, to save a daughter from the same fate, and by setting him up with Jessie Belle he'd been whipped and treated cruelly as a punishment for being an untimely child, and a constant reminder of her shame. She could never love him as a parent should as he was the rebel, always threatening to be a ticking time bomb for her upper class friends, and because of this she had denied servants permission to look for him when he ran away. The evidence of her statutory rape could die in the cold and her hell would finally be over. Her private moment was disrupted by a youth clipping her delicate shoulder, straying from his path unintentionally. It took her greatest efforts not to release the remaining knives from the pockets in her fan as she turned around almost instantaneously to challenge whoever interrupted her concentration, and she was shocked to see that it had been a boy a third of her age looking back at her. Recognition flickered across her eyes but she said nothing, her stance automatically questioning Ash and making him babble out apologies profusely. His good mood was crumbled away yet he didn't hear any harsh comments or threats of any nature from the woman; even Brock didn't hit on her—he knew this was one woman who could be as dangerous as she was strikingly beautiful. It was only Misty that recognised her, even that was with great difficulty as it was hard to imagine her without her sipping a cup of tea with a clear view of the mansion in the background.

      "Oh, hello! I'd imagine you're going to attend the wedding are you?"

      "What do you mean by that, and who are you anyway?"

      "Do forgive me, we're the three who helped you become reunited with James, remember? So is that why you're here, to see him getting married?"  
      "He's getting married? This is obviously a jest of some sort"  
      "No, I saw him yesterday and my friend later discovered that he's getting married tomorrow, in this town. I'm sorry if you didn't know, it's just I thought that's why you were here"

      "No, I was here for…another reason. Please excuse me in that case, I must get a gift for the couple that he will never forget"

      When they were certain she was out of hearing range, Brock shuddered and revealed his thoughts that something wasn't quite right with that comment, as if she had something more sinister up her sleeve. Misty told him not to be so silly as she was his mother and just meant that she'd give him a gift that would make the occasion perfect. All the same, all three of them felt unnerved by the disquietingly calm woman.

      Anthony tapped his side repeatedly as a show of nerves as he held his position as watchman down in the laboratory again; memories of seeing Cassidy so horribly mutilated filling his thoughts from the last time he'd been working down there. Angry thoughts of Lindsey in bed with the head of the organisation stung his feelings, as he knew they were doing it yet didn't have the courage to say something about it, yet it didn't seem like she was going to say anything to him about it any time soon. He didn't want to be strung along like he was, but then again he didn't need the aggravation that would certainly arise with a confrontation with her over it. He couldn't forget the cruel glints in the eyes of that meowth either; something wasn't normal about it—it was almost as if it didn't have a shred of decency in its feral feline body. He'd felt so much easier when the pokémon had taken off after its former comrades, but he felt sympathy too. Butch was in the same position with Meowth that he was with Giovanni: he'd work for him, and then once they'd been toyed with long enough; they'd get the woman of their dreams back. But he knew neither would ever have those wishes fulfilled as Cassidy was dead and Lindsey had the man of ultimate authority in her bed. He felt sorrier for the other male, as he'd missed the magnificent funeral Giovanni had done for Cassidy, which left him with no way to properly say goodbye once he learnt the truth. At least he could go for other women, but he felt like Butch and Cassidy had possessed the potential to be more than just occasional lovers; they were almost what he'd call soul mates. He sighed and watched his breath hit the cold air around him, creating puffs of small clouds each time he exhaled. He felt like the heat had been deliberately left off, as he was the only security guard in that area of the labs since the surrounding rooms were unoccupied but needed to be guarded in case the wrong people took the items inside into their possession. His legs were slowly numbing but there was nothing he could do to relieve the deadness; to leave his position was to defy orders, no matter how slight, and to defy orders in that institute was a request for death.

      Meowth returned to the room he'd made Butch pay for, tired after a morning's work of visiting every registry office in the city, convincing them all to accept any orders from his former team mates should they choose their office and to call up other couples and cancel their plans, even if they had been booked months in advance. There had only been one serious injury involved in all the cases where he gave the owners reason to comply with the feline's request. He couldn't afford even the slightest flaw at this stage as victory was within his grasp, and it was this reason that Butch didn't tell him he'd kissed Jessie earlier. Not because of the nebulous thyroproxine involved (he hadn't thought of that at all), but because the slightest sound of infidelity might be enough for him to not deliver Cassidy when promised. The human was presently writing out numerous poems and verses to present to his beloved when she returned, and if he had them all written early enough he might be able to improve them so she wouldn't find error with any of them. Meowth gazed out of the window and saw nothing of particular interest to the tired feline, yet he persisted in looking out at other people's lives unfolding to distract him from his thoughts. He hated his former friends leading a happy life together without so much as a courteous thought about him, but more importantly he hated not being with them like in the old days. They could still have their romance, but all he wanted right now was their company. They didn't miss him though, so his bitter resentment grew and wished ill on them, even though the young couple regularly thought of him and in spite of neither voicing it to the other, both had always thought of them having kids together, with Meowth watching over them occasionally as a relation would, not as a hired minder. The cat-type's tail flicked in an irritated manner as it dwelt on his friends' happy life without him, his hate-filled glare never wavering yet saw nothing as he was too occupied with his thoughts.

      Tyra couldn't believe she'd gotten away with her life after being hit by the woman with an aim far more accurate than any other person known to her. The poison-tipped throwing knife had been embedded into her flesh, but it had jarred on the wiring in her underwear so the wound wasn't life threatening. She'd pretended to collapse until she was certain the perpetrator was no longer present, and then she pulled the knife out and squeezed the wound to both draw out the poison and staunch the bleeding. She waited until she felt less afraid and stood up and walked very slowly, not wanting to assist the poison in its travelling of her circulatory system. She looked to the sky and mentally noted that she'd acquire vengeance in one form or another, and when she did, nothing would stand in her way. Nothing.


	12. 31st March, 2001

                                                 Saturday, March 31st 2001

      Jessie woke up first with a great sense of surging excitement as opposed to the nerve-wracking fear she'd initially expected herself to feel. She moved her hand down along her front until she reached her stomach, her enjoyment absorbing every ounce of pleasure at touching the obvious swell of her pregnancy. No, their pregnancy, she corrected herself. Fortunately for her, James' hand was lower on her anatomy than hers, so she could span out her fingers to the maximum without the fear of waking him up; she just wanted this time to reflect on how she felt on certain aspects of her life, as it would hopefully be the last morning she'd have as an unmarried woman. Was she settling down too early, and was she merely doing it as a method to make her unplanned and, at the beginning, almost unwanted pregnancy more acceptable to the general eye of the public? No, she told herself, I love him and we'd have eventually done this at some point, just not quite so soon with regards to their lives. She saw the pregnancy as just another reason why they should love each other and make things work, not an excuse for a pathetic relationship with no passion or love of any kind. She'd slept with enough men to know their true feelings and thoughts during sex and other activities she'd degraded herself for to ensure her baby's safety, and James had never acted like the others had done—no sense of boredom, intolerance or hatred. But with reference to him hiding his past for years from her, he could just be one of the world's most convincing actors and could resent her, feeling no love to her at all, feeling like she'd trapped him. Her worst enemy at the moment was her conscience, as it was niggling at her, tearing possibilities she'd never even considered out of the abyss just to torment her with.

      She then became aware that it looked like she'd trapped him into a marriage with which he felt no interest or love because of their child, and it was this thought that made her afraid the most. She could handle him not loving her, but she wasn't sure if she could deal with the possibility he'd hate her for this, or worse again that he wouldn't love their daughter. They hadn't even lasted a month as a couple during the last time they were together, and would getting married really solve all their fidelity problems, or would it have any effect on their attitudes at all? The fact he was never keen on marriage kept visiting her head, and she seemed incapable of seeing any solid comforting thoughts with the notion of him being the one to propose. It could have just been a sympathy offer, as he felt with her attitude nobody would want to settle down with her (she'd thought it constantly for years as she accepted rejections and hurtful remarks from past boyfriends). She felt cold when she followed this part of paranoia through, as he probably _was_ hating her for making them get married just days after learning of the death of his previous fiancée.

      She had no comforting thought stored away in her worried head to counter that, so she returned to questioning herself as a person if she was doing the same thing his ex had done to him to the point of his leaving home. Maybe he was being too considerate of her feelings to tell her he wasn't interested in it merely because he knew how much it would mean to her if they went through with it. Even though there hadn't been an ounce of doubt visible on his face when he took her measurements for the dress (there'd been little other than desires to procreate to tell the truth) he certainly had been far from amused when she'd stepped through the door on her return. The reason why he suffered from distaste could easily be suggested as her brief encounter with Butch could have done little for his enjoyment, yet it could have been the perfect opportunity for him to allow some of his true feelings to escape. She still couldn't justify the reason for her betrayal anyway; she'd decided it must have been the risk factor, as although she found Butch attractive in his own way, there was nothing sexually appealing about him, nor did she like his personality enough to seriously consider a future of anything other than bare acquaintances with him. In fact, she'd easily forget it ever happened were it not for her committing it within twenty-four hours of her devoting her life whole-heartedly to another man.

      She was snapped involuntarily from her thoughts as she felt her fiancé pulling her closer to his body and planting a kiss on her cheek whilst wishing her a good morning. She giggled as she turned around, sliding into his embrace to kiss him properly, enjoying the slight pressure he applied as he tried to hold back his body weight as opposed to squashing her stomach with it. It was apparent they both wanted more, yet their daughter did not and delivered a kick to her mother's stomach to stop their offensive passion from blossoming further. James reluctantly pulled away from his wife-to-be, silently hoping their child would learn when its actions would be considered obtrusive to their sex lives when it was born.

      He tenderly ran his fingers over her body, and in-between kisses along her body, he playfully complained he hadn't had a stag night like other bachelors had, just to see what her reaction would be. She tried her hardest to ignore what he was doing to her body for her pleasure as his movements were having the effects he desired her to have yet she didn't want to admit it, and to aid her arduous quest she asked if he thought she hadn't been a good enough stripper for him. He increased the level of skill he'd been using on her to gain enjoyment from the face she made halfway between pouting and pleasure and he insisted she'd been good, but pointed out that you weren't meant to marry the person you hooked up with for one night, nor were you supposed to spend your last night as a free soul sitting in with your girlfriend having good clean fun. She gave up trying to convince him he wasn't having any particular effect on her (partially because not even she believed anybody could fall for her inexcusable acting at this point, partially because she saw that she'd win in a sense whether or not she pretended he wasn't doing anything spectacular) and told him there'd been nothing remotely clean about what they'd done the night before. The grin that immediately sprouted up on his face made it evident that he agreed with her on that count.

      She pushed her idea a little too far as she declared her hen night hadn't been very good either and she'd just tell other people she'd decided against one so she wouldn't need to give details about how boring it was. He withdrew his fingers and watched her with an amused expression upon his face, as he enjoyed the pout that obviously was supposed to convince him to change his option. She half-growled out that her stripper hadn't even been half-decent, and she'd had to show him a few tricks so she'd at least be able to get some enjoyment out of it. He moved his hand back altogether and replied, with mirth detectable in his voice:

      "Excuse me honey, but I believe you're forgetting that I beat you in a stripping competition. If I'm truly as terrible and not even 'half-decent' as you put it, then what exactly does that make you?"

      "It makes me a fool for being the lover of a cheater"

      "I've never cheated in anything in my life to win it, so I think you should rethink that accusation. Unless of course you were referring to…"

      "Don't you **dare mention _her_ name on our wedding day, so shut up now"**

      "Sorry"

      "Apology accepted. The only thing is this: I don't remember a thing about that night so you must have cheated. If you didn't do it in the competition itself, you must have done it before I woke up. I know what you did, you swapped the medals!"

      "I did not! I'm not that desperate to beat you in things, although you pull the cutest face when you're in the mood for making love and I won't assist you, there it is now! Besides, I know for a fact I beat you that night, I've seen the footage"

      "No way, what happened in it?"

      "It's interesting to say the least about it, and it definitely rings of our style when we're sober…which is perhaps what frightens me the most"

      "What do you mean? And when did you see it?"

      "I saw it every night I stayed at Elora's—the room above the pub itself. Some nights I'd be too tired, or simply too drunk to walk to my apartment so I'd stay with her, and of course she loved teasing me with it"

      "But you said you'd stayed faithful to me"

      "Sorry?"  
      "You said you didn't sleep with anyone in our time apart"

      "Oh I didn't, not in that sense anyway. I stayed on her couch, or if I fell asleep anywhere else with her I swear we didn't do anything like that, as much as she wanted me to. I told you it would have felt like betraying you too much so yes, I've still only slept with two women, one of which I'm marrying in a few hours"

      "You never marry your mistress, that's why people aren't meant to have sex before marriage, so why are you marrying me?"

      "You don't marry your mistress, but you're left free to marry your soul mate, correct? That's how I see us. We're serious, and I love you. Plus if I don't you'll kill me"

      "You got that right anyway! So tell me more about your times with her, I want to know exactly how much better than me you were"

      "In my opinion, you should have won that night. Actually, I don't think either of us should have"

      "Was I really that unappealing? How did we still win?"

      "Let's just say we were the only ones to enter it, and our acts were useless"

      "Watch who you're calling useless!"  
      "Jessie, you couldn't take your own clothes off and fell off the table you were standing on, twice"

      "No I did not! You lie!"

      "I wish I was. I fell off one as well, only I grabbed a huge, muscle-bound guy who wasn't too amused with the concept on the way down, and he ended up straddling me. I'm so glad he was straight"

      "Did I do anything else that was bad?"

      "You tried to kiss a barman and ended up head butting him in the eye. He still had a bruise when I started working there three weeks later. At least you didn't make matters worse by showcasing how awful a singer you were when drunk"

      "What do you mean? Your voice was fine then, and you used to be an amazing singer so what are you referring to?"

      "One word Jessie: drunk. I started singing 'happy birthday' to the girl we met in the pharmacy the next night, and from the job I did, trust me you wouldn't have admitted to anyone that you came with me"

      "Why are you still surprised people assume you're gay when you go and act like this when you're let out into the open?"

      "I know it's terrible. I'd say I'll never drink again, but I think I will—the ring can be my proof from now on!"

      "James, is this just going to be a sham wedding to make people assume you're straight is it? If you've got a guy on the side you might as well tell me, because that way I'd know when not to ask you what you'll be doing when you go out on your own at night"

      "How did you work it out? I've been working on this plan for years; I thought I'd finally convinced you!"

      "Well, it is your brainpower in question here…How come everyone else was onto the truth too in that case?"  
      James decided to tease her again and positioned himself above her without applying any pressure to her stomach and kissed her neck, before starting a pattern leading down her body.

      "Obviously I didn't try hard enough, but now I mean business with it. And this way, I don't have to pretend to like having sex with you anymore"

      He paused mid-air as he was about to deliver the final kiss, but instead decided to linger above her so his breath could tantalise her further as it hit against her wet skin, and they knew it was another challenge to see who could hold out the longest. Jessie cracked first and whispered 'please', feeling that she could lose this one and still gain something from it, but her fiancé had other plans. He chose to display his dominance by getting up without going down on her, then he walked out of the room, calling out he was going to have a shower to use all the hot water, and then for when he was out of it, he advised her to take a cold shower to clean her thoughts. She shouted back he'd regret doing that when he wanted a honeymoon night to remember as she said he wasn't going to get one, to which she received a truthful 'neither will you'. She released a scream of frustration to vent her denied needs, and they both started laughing in their different locations, knowing that their honeymoons being uneventful was as likely as them taking pleasure in rejoining Team Rocket and not getting paid for their work—even their pathetic salary had been a whole lot better than nothing.

      Tyra awoke with a sudden rush of misery flooding her system, feeling it must be the aftermath of following James around for his own safety over the last week and then with her betrayal losing any chance of ever being his friend again. She knew they'd fall for the fake marriage competition so now he'd be permanently off the market, since the only times he'd been unfaithful was with her and now that was not a feasible possibility. Tears coated her aqua violet eyes as she thought about how she'd always followed him around, willing to do anything for him and she was suddenly glad that he had a sensitive nature, otherwise he could have made her do anything, and she'd have been glad to comply with it.

      She toyed with her necklace, the opaque triangular piece of quartz resting on a black string he'd given her when they were secretly together in the bicycle gang; whenever anyone asked it had been a gift from home and no questions were asked, as one golden rule was to never mention their pasts. He was extremely different to all the other guys in the gang; whenever they got the shack to themselves he'd always ask her permission to touch her, regardless of how much he personally wanted to do it. They could have easily had sex countless times during those times alone, but he'd insisted he wanted to be married first and she'd never really felt ready, even though it seemed tempting from the things he'd do to her. He always made her feel good about herself, even though he didn't have to hold or kiss her; in public he was different from the other guys by not bothering to hide his consideration and compassion towards others. She'd even tried to copy his hairstyle in her own small way by creating a wisp that refused to move into the rest of her emerald-grass coloured hair.

      She'd never known such heartbreak as the day he left the gang, with the exception of most of the last year, so when he returned for one more day a couple of years later she was overjoyed, especially when she learnt that he was still single. He'd been very angry with her that night when he'd rendezvoused with her in secret after the way they'd meant to steal the pokémon from the twerps instead of giving them honorary biker's names, especially when he was still in pain from being hit on the head with a tandem then immediately struck by a passing barge. She felt terrible when he'd left and convinced Deryck to join her in a quest to be accepted into Team Rocket, hoping that if she became successful he'd be impressed, respect her and forgive her momentary disobedience against his wishes, but she'd messed it up and allowed herself to be gracelessly discharged even though it saved his life.

      She sighed and exited the room with depression lingering in her veins, haunting her soul, mercilessly stapling unwanted memories to her concentration when she thought of how complete she'd felt the second time she'd shared her bed with him, then how hollow when he'd discovered she'd bugged him—she was the key to her own undoing and her own worst enemy more than half the time. Marriage was never something she'd planned from an early age, mainly because her energy was devoted to finding food for her and her gang, yet she wanted to be able to say he was her husband, and they'd always loved each other. Misery sank in again when she realised she had nobody she'd be able to say that too either; Lindsey had been a close enough friend but she'd spoilt the opportunity of enhancing that friendship the day she'd walked out of that office. If she killed herself to make a clean, final break from her wretched daily torture, would anyone care? Would they even realise she was dead?

      Giovanni awoke with a pounding headache, the result of drinking too much to get Lindsey out of his mind, which was rather pointless since he'd slept with her anyway. He hadn't wanted too, he'd just received the sudden urge to shut her up and prove his dominance, yet afterwards he felt like she had more control over his life than previously thought and he feared for the state of his sanity. How did he go from being untouchable and one of the most feared leaders of the most prestige outlaw corporation to being afraid of a powerless woman, who didn't even pose any threat; it was all psychosomatic. He threw the bed clothing off him, snarling as he snapped free of her underwear that bound his wrist to the bedpost, a minor game he'd insisted on to make him feel more powerful. He fumed over his inability to decide what to do with his emotions and stormed out of the building without being truly aware of his surroundings, all he knew was he had to get away from her before she distracted his thoughts further by being awake at the same time.

      He wandered around the city angrily without his concentration being firmly affixed on anything other than his search for the reason behind his incredible dislike of a mere worker, one that offered no desires to prematurely end his life. People stared at him as he walked by, wondering what reason must a man of obvious wealth must have to wander around unaccompanied in what looked like an expensive designer suit. Some stared at him simply because of the marks left upon his face as a result of the explosion that took place in his office the other day. The eventual conclusion of her being too much of a cumbersome nuisance with her actions and abilities made her too dangerous to live and too intelligent and beautiful to die crossed his mind, which infuriated the man further as he was displeased with the idea of her existing in this world or the next. Yet something else bothered him, an emotion he could not quite place his finger on; was he perhaps falling in love with her for the first time in his cruel life?

      James entered the bedroom to see Jessie walking out of it, so he caught hold of her wrist and held her by the hips as he kissed her lovingly. She walked free from his grip and headed out again, grinning to herself as she'd felt his manhood pressing against her in their kiss so this would be her payback. He took her against his body with more playful force and smothered her lips with his, making her want more even though she knew it would mean throwing her plan out the window. She reluctantly pulled back with the explanation she was ordered to take a cold shower so she'd have to follow her instructions lest she be punished. He guided her back to the bed and placed her down on it whilst maintaining his passionate kisses, then he positioned himself over her when he heard no more objections. She jerked him forwards suddenly and he was inside her without meaning it, yet she'd intended it as she said she wasn't letting him leave before she was ready again. He grinned and complied with their hormonal bodies' demands willingly, and he made sure that she achieved the pleasure she sought at least once.

      After sex, she decided she would take a shower to make sure she was as clean and virginal as she could get for their wedding ceremony, feeling relief when James told her he had left a lot of hot water for her as he suspected she'd want to clean up too. She felt a tight contraction in her womb and her immediate fear sprung to the life of her child, but it passed in a moment and she assumed it was just her body's reaction to the water hitting her skin unexpectedly or something. She ran her fingers through her hair, wondering if her husband-to-be wanted to be just that, or maybe once she took the sex out of it, as she'd have to do in a couple of weeks anyway, he may not be interested anymore. She shook the thought away and smiled as she realised that could hardly be much further away from the truth.

      Questions rushed through James' head fast than the water falling from a fifty foot waterfall as he buttoned up his shirt, as memories of Jessie Belle hit him hard now that he was about to get married. He'd loved her only as a friend would, yet it seemed like an intolerable crime against her memory to defile her memory via complying with what she'd wanted more than anything from him and by doing it with someone that other people thought looked similar to her. He'd always wanted to be with Jessie, yet why was he persisting in hiding things from her now, from both his past and present? She still had to find out about the other woman he'd considered marrying when she'd asked him. The only reason he hadn't gone through with it was he'd had to have told the girl everything regarding his desire for drugs and things he'd done for them before he could feel comfortable settling with her. He felt discomfort from not telling Jessie the full truth either, but if she knew more she'd think of him as little more than a pathetic waste of matter, of that much he was easily certain.

      As he was applying the finishing touches to his dickey beaux (he had no problem with putting them on from all the times he'd done that from an early age), Jessie literally took his breath away as she entered the room. She looked extremely nervous as she stood in her wedding dress, which fitted her perfectly, and somehow it concealed her pregnancy even though it wasn't loose on her in any way. The cut and style suited her perfectly, the working on the seams flawless, but most of all the material of the dress appeared to make her look very much alive but delicate even though she seemed as fragile as a porcelain doll in it. She could tell from his expression that he was pleased with it, but the detail that completed the look though it was not originally meant to be worn with it was the locket; it rested neatly in the point of the 'v' of the dress' neck. He went over and rested his fingers tenderly on her waist without any perverted intentions apparent to her, as he wanted to make sure they both felt strongly but without the teenage desires they generally suffered from when next to each other.

      She caught his gaze but her heart stopped when he asked her if she was positive this was what she wanted to do, and that she didn't feel pressurised into doing it. She nodded but her eyes laced themselves with salty liquid in case he said he was only doing it to please her, but she calmed herself down when she heard him say he loved her and tenderly touched his lips to hers. He pulled back and told her she shouldn't cry and that if she did he wasn't going to accept responsibility for whatever state her make-up would be in; then he received a push backwards from him along with a sarcastic remark making it clear she hadn't done her make-up yet. Suddenly her eyes widened when she realised something she hadn't considered before then.

      "I know we weren't going to go through with this as traditionally as other couples would, but I haven't got anything old, new, borrowed **or** blue"

      "I never thought of that, erm give me a second to think please. I know; the dress is new since it was finished yesterday, but the material is old—it's what we made the last one out of when we were in Team Rocket"

      "Really, are you serious? How did you get it?"

      "It's a long story, which we're not going to talk about right now. Something borrowed…here, take my watch and put it on your ankle so it's not on show"

      "Thanks, but will you put it on for me?"

      He obliged her request and strapped it around her left ankle whilst she waited until he was fully done before pulling a stray hair from his head. He shot up and his hand instantly covered the top of his head as he asked why she did that. She placed the hair in her cleavage and out of view as she said it was something blue. As he pulled her into another embrace she opened her locket and said she wished Meowth could be there with them, the threatening tears fell freely.

      The cat-type in question sat in the reception area of the registry office they'd booked, ordering the workers to follow his demands without question, which they did as their manager had given similar instructions the day before, owing to the feline's menacing phone calls made to all in town. He told them that they were to give the couple a bottle of complimentary champagne that he'd provided, yet he'd slipped a few drugs into it as it was only common sense Jessie wouldn't drink any because of her pregnancy whereas James would, making it look like he'd slipped back to his old habit. His tail twitched to show his irritation, knowing that the holy matrimony would come collapsing around them in a few hours of its existence if all went as planned. He jumped down and ran into the registering room, hiding in a place where he could see all going on yet not be seen by anyone unless they knew his location.

      The registrar gritted his teeth and wished he hadn't listened to the threats delivered to him the day before, yet he felt it wiser to refrain from declining the pokémon's demands, for both his safety and the business'.  They'd cancelled all of their morning appointments without any consideration for the consequences to ensure this one wedding ran smoother, and the sooner it began the sooner they could reclaim their customers. He held his breath as the couple in question entered the room; they looked so perfect together that he wondered if their gods had created them merely to compliment how well the other looked when they were together. This was one time where he genuinely didn't mind performing the tedious task of reading marital vows out even though he usually did it fifty times a day, six days a week.

      After the nerve-wracking ceremony took place, the newlyweds kissed in a corner like there was no tomorrow for them, adrenaline kicking in and obliterating any doubts or second thoughts in the process. Both had been deathly afraid of messing up their lines but it had run relatively smoothly up until now, with the exception of Jessie getting tongue-tied as she said her full name a bit too quickly. They were interrupted when the registrar offered them the complimentary champagne but James politely refused, thinking of his baby's safety and the potential damage alcohol could do to her, then thinking how Jessie could be hurt if he took some and she couldn't. Jessie then said it was okay and asked them to bring it over, but also requested a glass of water for herself, but only if it was readily available. The registrar bowed politely and went for the drinks, wondering what was so special about the alcohol since it was the most expensive brand in existence, yet it was to be given as a wedding present for nothing, yet the donator made it clear he didn't want his presence known to them.

      James' body absorbed the drugs as easily as a fish breathes through its gills in the purest water around. Even someone who can't handle alcohol, especially when they haven't eaten anything prior to drinking would be affected less than he was; because it had been so long since he'd taken anything, his body swallowed it up in case it was another unbearably long period until it received another sample of it. Jessie noticed he was acting more easy-going than usual, but she just assumed the alcohol was quite strong and went straight to his head, and made her water look rather boring. They were told to take the remainder of the bottle with them as they left the office, and again Jessie accepted when James refused, as she thought it could be quite fun watching him if he was going to finish a bottle by himself.

      Butch was still in bed when Meowth returned from the ceremony, seeing no need to get up when there would be very little work involved in their day's pre-arranged agenda if the couple had followed the wedding scam. His boss seemed to have no problem with this and even spoke to him as an equal rather than a subordinate for once; maybe seeing his friends getting married had altered his philosophy on life. Maybe he'd be allowed to see Cassidy sooner than he thought, if this good mood help up that was. As if by some sort of telepathy or another kind of equally baffling magic, the feline said he could see his potential girlfriend later that night, but only for ten minutes. The conversation ceased unexpectedly, when Butch could see his boss had suddenly immersed deeply in thought, and he decided it would be best not to disturb him. He turned over and vividly imagined Cassidy's face on the pillow next to his face, looking at him after they'd made love for the first time. He hoped she was a virgin; it was always good to be the first man to make an impact, and he got a sort of sadistic pleasure whenever he felt a hymen bursting as a result of his power, the flowing blood afterwards being the only drawback to this hobby.

      James' mother fingered the precious piece of paper in her hands, wondering when she should use it to achieve maximum devastation to the couple, if they chose to listen to her. They'd have to; what she knew was true, and with her shell of a son being such a weak and unconvincing liar, she knew it would take minimal effort for this plot to take effect. Of course, her clever worming of false information had already taken effect on them without them suspecting a thing—then again by the time anybody realised even a remote aspect of her true motives she was in the process of aiding their journey from this world. A smile depicting pure iniquity crossed her daintily decorated lips as she sipped at her first class cup of tea, knowing that there was no possible way for the marriage to continue in any sense when she played her trump card, the very page in her hand. Children's doodles and scribbles were sometimes worth cherishing, and she was glad she chose this in advance all those years ago. It was probably the only thing James had done that she ever bothered to look at, and it was the part that he hadn't done that attracted her attention; then again he was always a failure so she was expert at looking around him and counting all of his efforts as null and void. She knew this as a fact; she didn't have to bother checking his work at any point to verify it, an action which had hurt him irreparably whilst growing up. Well, that was the price he needed to pay to make up for his untimely birth, and the improper events that led to his conception.

      Jessie began to regret giving the rest of the alcohol to James as they nestled in bed together in the five-star hotel from the voucher that offered them the incentive to get married on the spur on the moment. His performance had been better than what he'd done the night before, mainly because nerves towards the wedding had thrown him slightly, yet there was something not quite right about it. He was obviously in a completely relaxed state; drained from both ejaculating as well as feeling mellow from the strong LSDs Meowth had spiked the drink with, making him liable to say anything to her at this moment, which he'd regret at a later state. Now was the opportune instant for one of those sentences it seemed.

      "I've never felt this good before. Actually, there have been two stages where I've felt this good in the past, not with you though"

      Jessie stiffened up in the bed and hardened her glare at him, feeling like he was talking about the two times he'd slept with Tyra, and she knew immediately who was better in bed in his opinion. She wrapped the covers around her breasts to deny him anything of a visual nature that he might enjoy, half-heartedly noticing he wasn't looking at her but at the ceiling.

      "By stages, I of course meant in two different circumstances and not twice in my life…oh they certainly happened more than twice anyway…she's so sexy, I wonder how she's getting on now"

      "Who the hell are you talking about James? And why the fuck did you just marry me if you think another woman's so fucking hot?"

      "Chill Jess, I can't marry her, she's too special, too close to me for that. Talented she was as well, pity she's not here now so I could show you"

      "Forget any ideas of me swapping sides for your stupid ex, though why you didn't stay with her if she's so great is beyond me. I want you less by the minute"

      "Don't be jealous of her Jess, even though she knows how to use her tongue properly in more than one place on my body, and not afraid of a little dirtier fun when we're out in public either. Pity you're not as well-endowed as she is, it'd make sex a lot easier if I had a bit more to look at"

      She bit her lip and refrained from hitting him with more force than she'd ever summoned in the past, hurt at the remark about the other woman's talents and body, when she'd always thought James found no complaint with her oral skills and felt like her cup size was bigger than the average woman's anyway. She didn't know why he was acting like such a jerk on their honeymoon when they were supposed to be happier than ever and he was deliberately trying to hurt her. He still looked at the ceiling with a calm expression which only acted as a source to infuriate her more.

      "We couldn't be together, it was never proper and we'd be killed if anyone knew the truth about us. She was my shelter, she took me in when I left home and whilst I grew up quickly by learning to survive independently, she assisted me in growing up sexually and would always do whatever I wanted when it came to dirty fun. It was nice learning facts from her, most have come in handy especially when I've done them to you. She showed me how to enjoy other people gaining enjoyment, so it's never once seemed like a chore when I make you come outside of sex. Sasha, I'd be entirely lost were it not for you"

      Recognition flickered in Jessie's mind at the sound of that name, then she remembered where she'd heard it before; it had to be the same one, how many of the other women he knew were likely to have the same name and have the same uplifting effect on him when he thought about her?

      "Hang on a second, your _aunt? You were doing all these things with your **aunt**?!"_

      "Yeah, she's a special woman to me. You could probably ask her super nicely and she'd probably do something to you to give you the best orgasm ever, and trust me when I say that"

      "When else have you felt so good then, aside from sex favours from your whore of an aunt? Getting a blowjob from your uncle maybe?"

      "Don't be so vile, jealousy's an ugly trait to possess, an even uglier one to apply Jessie. The other times, to answer your poorly posed question, were when I used to test a drugs supply and get a good batch for once. Made me high as a kite and let me forget about why I was there and what I had to do in the event of failure. It's why I appreciate your willpower whenever you suck me; I find the process disgusting to the thought, not to mention the taste when you do it. Especially when you're doing it to a man you despise; it wasn't so bad when I did it to Deryck. That bastard, however, left me for dead; he didn't care if I died when I subjected myself to his willpower for a couple of my vital years. He cut me to ribbons and acted like it was nothing to him, after all I'd done for him, all the humiliation and self-loathing and he didn't care for one second. That bastard left me for dead Jess, he left me to die. He left me for me to serve at least one purpose in life: to make sure rattata food was plentiful for a month or so. Then I'd return to being totally useless. I'm worthless white trash, that's what I was to him and it's all I am to the rest of the world. I've got to kill myself, solve everyone's problems. Where's my razors Jess?"

      She felt sick to the pit of her stomach as he poured his history out to her, and she suddenly realised what a mistake it was to have let him drink the rest of the champagne; it had obviously been spiked, with something highly illegal by the sounds of James' sudden mood change and from the information he'd previously divulged. He was asking her for something to kill himself with; this was a possibility she never thought she'd face, and never in a million years would she have thought it would happen on their honeymoon night. She tried to convince him he'd imagined his past as he became more fitful, but then she made a discovery she'd never wanted or expected to make. He slapped his torso viciously for a few seconds until his skin became a burning scarlet from his neck to his groin.

      Scars showed up on his skin, a myriad of jagged, horrific shapes marking truth to his story of being cut to ribbons, and they'd eventually faded to almost invisible silver or something, being the reason why she was unable to see them, even when she studied his body in the rare mornings where she was awake first. The worst one was a diagonal line leading from one shoulder to his hip on the opposite side, and it looked nastier and more potentially fatal than the others as they all stayed in their illuminated areas, yet this one seemed to move menacingly as he breathed, as if it was being gauged out by a knife again. How had he hidden these from her?

      He unexpectedly started scratching at his arms, telling something to stay away from him as he was clean and didn't want their filth to contaminate his veins again, and she realised he was hallucinating syringes attacking him or something, so she grabbed his wrists and twisted them behind her own back to give him a chance to calm down. He tried to pull his arms back from her but started whimpering when he saw the blood sliding down his arms from where he'd scratched a little too successfully. She smacked him with all the strength available for her to muster when he freed one hand, hoping it was enough to calm him down or to at least snatch a grasp of reality. He looked so different to the husband she knew, or the friend she'd worked with as a partner for years that she felt like she was straddling a stranger. She removed his glasses while he was taken aback so he couldn't see the blood or raw skin anymore, wondering how long it took someone to come down off drugs, and whether this would last for a few minutes or weeks.

      She massaged his shoulders to soothe him a little, then she leant down to deliver a kiss that was supposed to bring him to his senses, but it sparked something else off in him she hadn't expected. He pushed her away and shouted for her to leave him alone, that he'd had enough ghosts wanting him to last a lifetime, and it was too painful to see her after so long. She was confused by this until she remembered Jessie Belle was dead and he probably couldn't tell the difference between them when he wasn't wearing his glasses. She tried to say who she was but he seemed to be too delirious to comprehend her properly so she unlocked the handcuffs they'd used for their first time as a married couple and locked both his wrists to the bedposts, covered his arms up with a sheet and in spite of his struggling she put his glasses back on him. He calmed down a bit when he could see it wasn't her, and broke out in a full, cold sweat across his body without warning, shivering erratically as he did. She held him, trying her hardest to ignore the still violently red skin showing off his scars like they were some sort of trophies he was extremely proud of. He sighed and his breathing became easier, and she thought he was coming out of the drug's control until he said 'you looked the image of your mother then Jess', and she realised it wasn't his ex-fiancée that he'd mistaken her for. Tears welled up in her own eyes and she asked him how he knew what she looked like when she'd never shown him a picture of her or mentioned what her physical appearance was like.

      "I've seen what she looks like from working in Team Rocket's filing system, she looked very beautiful. I cried when I found out what happened to her, and felt the pain you must have felt when the truth hit you"

      "What do you mean by truth? James, what the hell are you talking about?"

      "When you found out she was executed for her disobedience, not simply lost in the mountains during a particularly heavy avalanche as you'd previously been told"

      "What happened to her?"

      "Giovanni's mother silenced her when it seemed like she was becoming a threat to the society, and the only reason you weren't killed simultaneously was because her son had a crush on you and wouldn't let her kill you. She'd hit the menopause and needed a family member to pass the corporation onto in the future so she couldn't displease him, and instead sent you to the school where we met. She was going to leave everything as it was then without telling you anything, but again it was his pleading that stopped her from leaving you to your own devices, so concocted a story about her not reporting in to the office after a tough mission in snowy mountains. It was really…"

      His sentence tailed off and she realised he'd fallen asleep without prior warning, which was probably for the best as it could hopefully eliminate the remainder of the drug inside him. Jessie's face was adorned with trails where tears flowed along repeatedly, wondering how many secrets her husband held from her, and how long he'd known what happened to her mother when she hadn't. Her hormones were up enough as it was with her pregnancy, making this news all the harder to cope with; her mother had been killed as unloving and as mean as it was whenever someone swatted a small organism flying around their faces. She knew that he was not lying, as not only did it seem cruel but probable enough since it involved ruthless members of Team Rocket, but he'd given her a slight insight into his harsh past that he'd never shared with her before, clearly true from the scars she'd seen. She took his glasses off again and viewed him for one last loving time before she turned off the light, wondering if he intended hoarding hurtful secrets within for the duration of their marriage, just to save her feelings. Or was it shame that made him keep quiet about a lot of information that would be useful for her to know? In any event, she wanted to start the day all over again so she wouldn't voice her opinion that he should take the expensive champagne when it was on offer for nothing; someone had done this deliberately and it had spoilt their honeymoon.

      Butch stood impatiently at a bridge, facing the slow water with as much enjoyment as he could muster, as he knew that within five minutes he'd be reunited with the woman he loved, even if it were only to be for a short while. He was promised ten minutes alone with her, so as long as she didn't tell him to leave her alone and to never see her again for the remainder of his life, he felt like nothing could go wrong with this. He was naturally unaware it was all a cruel jest plotted by Meowth to be a little sadistic in response to his friends getting married without him there. The cat-type had also shown his sadistic nature by doubling the amount of poison and nebulous thyroproxine for Jessie when she slept, knowing that between James returning to drugs and the threat of child-loss would make for an entertaining morning after for him.

      The ditto was a perfect form of Cassidy after her operation; even going as far as to make a few alterations to its appearance to show time had passed, such as a cut on her cheek being partially scabbed over. It touched him on the hips, and when he turned around it stood on its toes and kissed him, making him forget his former discomfort at not feeling her breasts any longer when they embraced. Meowth wasn't doing it really to gain amusement at knowing the wrongness of the situation, but Butch was becoming harder to control and needed something to keep him in check. He'd said ten minutes and with him nearby in case he planned to escape, when it was easy for him to gather another mindless worker—the reality was he didn't want the ditto to suffer anything along a bestial nature. The cat-type smiled to himself as he watched the couple; everything was going as planned, and soon his former partners would learn a very tough lesson.

                                                               AN

Yep that sure took a long time to get written! On the other hand, I have been working on other projects and had various stints that delayed me one way or another in my life. Depression swung its miserable old way back into my life, and a later chapter of this is fully written and edited; I needed some form of ventilation. Anyone who wants spoilers for the plot can head to my website where the chapter's posted, though I'd greatly appreciate feedback on it if you intend to do it, via email or by signing the guestbook. It was hard to write since it is based on something that happened in my family, so it was very difficult to write it as an author without getting too affected by it. It hit me hard. This chapter is dedicated to whoever's stuck around this long waiting for an update!


	13. 1st April, 2001

                                                 Sunday, April 1st 2001

      The first thing that crossed James' mind when he woke up was he wasn't holding Jessie, which made him wonder why she wasn't in his arms and worried for her safety. He nearly dislocated his arms as he sat upwards, and the reason why he wasn't holding her became shamefully clear; he was handcuffed to the bed. He thought about the night before and couldn't recall a thing, which scared him as he usually had a perfect memory and he didn't remember seeing the item at all, so he assumed she'd bought it. Then it struck him that he couldn't remember a thing about what must have been their wedding night, making him frantic at the thought of it. Had someone invaded the room and kidnapped Jessie? He tried to focus in on the area around him but the colours were wrong and he wanted to vomit, feeling unbearably dizzy as his body threw a battle against the remainder of the acid. The colours swirled in front of him so he shut his eyes to try clear his thoughts. When he opened them again, the blur was less nauseating and he realised he was wearing his glasses, and he heard a sound he couldn't decipher. He grunted in his confusion and heard the sound again, only this time it was tenfold clearer.

      "So I see you're awake now is what I said, and it appears your hearing's not what it could be. Pity about you"

      "Huh? Jessie? What's wrong?"

      "Not so talkative today are you? That's a shame, because you were opening your heart last night, you let me know a few home truths that you've hidden from me all this time. I know we weren't meant to start a marriage hiding things from each other, so why did you?"

      "I…I honestly don't know what I said Jess, I can't recall a thing. I'm sorry if I hurt you with anything, it wasn't intentional let me assure you"

      "Let's just omit your drugs habit as an answer to this question okay? What have you hidden from me?"

      "Oh gods what did I say? I honestly can't think of what it was honey, maybe it wasn't true?"

      "Tell me right now what you know about my mother. Don't say whatever I've told you either, because you knew what she looked like when I didn't show you a picture of her, ever. I don't even have one of her myself"

      "Jessie I'm so sorry, I really don't know what made me tell you. It's true; I've known what happened for a couple of years but I couldn't hurt you by telling you. Forgive me, please. I didn't want to make you feel all that pain again"

      "So you wanted me to live my life hoping for her to return, like I have done up until you decided to throw everything at me on what was supposed to be our honeymoon?"

      "Did I tell you all this freely or did we have an argument? I really can't remember a thing, please don't cry Jess"

      "It doesn't matter, it just hurts to think that I've married a man I don't even know"

      "That's not true; there's hardly anything else I haven't told you, and I'm quite sure there's stuff you haven't told me"

      "Tell me about any exes you have which you did more than kiss"

      "I thought I'd made it clear that I've only slept with you and…her"

      "Don't mention that whore unless you want an annulment, and trust me I nearly applied for one last night. I didn't ask the ones you fucked; I asked for the ones you did more than kiss"

      "Do you mean men or women?"  
      "You HAVE swung both ways?"

      "It wasn't something I'm overly proud of Jess, but when you've got no money, you've failed in work but you can't die because the woman you love is studying to become a nurse in another city. When you're faced with such conditions, and you're that woman's closest thing to family; if that meant whoring myself for other people's sexual gain just to make certain I'd make it out alive see her again, so be it. I hated every minute of it, but it was all worthwhile when I saw you, especially since I was clean"

      "Touching as you tried to make that sound James, I wasn't including that part of your past when I posed the question, as I'd stated prior to asking it. Can you think of anyone, or indeed any_thing I should know about?"_

      "I've been engaged before, twice, and chickened out of both weddings. Both because I love you and not them, but the second time I was a bastard about it and left her without warning. Not surprisingly, she tried to beat me up the next time we were talking to each other, which was almost a year and a half ago. Could you please remove the handcuffs Jess? My arms are killing me"

      "No, you're staying there until I've got all I want from you. Who was it the second time, do I know her?"

      "I honestly don't think you'd remember her, you've seen her twice and we weren't talking to her. I deliberately didn't go over to her when you were near; my cowardice came through in all its shameful glory once again"

      "Did you love her?"

      "At the time yes I was in love with her, very much so. I couldn't settle with her though, no when I knew my heart truly belonged to you. I swear you can't imagine how I'm feeling regarding to ruining our first twenty-four hours as a married couple, especially when it's what we've wanted for years. I've always followed a policy where I never wanted to hurt you, but now it seems I can't follow what I believe in anymore"

      "I told you to cut the sentimental crap James, I'm still very much pissed off at you and it will take a hell of a lot more than a few moments of sweet talking to get me to stay married to you after last night. I'm horrified I know so little about you, and if we were going to get married today and I knew what you said, I don't know if I'd have done it"

      "You want me to pour my heart out? That's what I'm trying to do, and a lot of my heart is devoted to you. It is how I truly feel and not 'sentimental crap', as you so wonderfully put it"

      "Lose that tone if you want to know what our daughter's going to look like"

      "It's frustrating because the fresh start we promised each other involved not bringing up the past, but that's all you're doing now and it makes me very uncomfortable thinking about it. Did I tell you I got left for dead for not giving some drugs to kids? It was damn hard to resuscitate me from the damage inflicted that night, take a close look at my body if you need proof. My eyes aren't good enough now, but I could see them clearly even after they faded. I felt fear each day, wondering when you'd dress a little too close to me and see them, when you'd find out what lowlife scum I really am"

      "I think you're scum at the moment for two reasons more than any other right now. One's my mother. The other, as far as I'm aware, does not involve drugs but is illegal and you haven't told me anything about it other than the disturbingly graphic yet somehow vague details you gave me last night"

      "You've lost me. I've never killed anyone and I should hope by now you knew I've been a thief, having been my partner for long enough where pilfering was our profession"

      "It doesn't involve theft, unless you stole her virginity"

      "Two women, all times were consensual so why are you making suggestive comments about me being a rapist? I've never made you do anything you didn't want to before have I? My conscience couldn't handle it if that's the case"

      "You haven't, though I now know the reason why you rarely let me do anything other than make love to you"

      "Because I worked with whores Jessie, I'd hear them crying when they'd earned money for degrading themselves for men's pleasure. I didn't want you to feel the same and that's the total truth. I'd feel even worse because you're sheltering our baby, and because of what you did in our time apart"

      "It's true I hated doing it to strangers and people I worked for, especially when I despise them as much as I do. But the real reason you don't want me to do it is because I'm not good enough at it for your liking"

      "What are you on about? I consider you highly skilled and have never complained have I?

      "No, but you've had better"

      "Don't be ridiculous, what gave you that idea? If you're trying to get me to confess to whether or not ex-girlfriends have given me sexual favours, I'll make no secret of it. I've given them too"

      "Yes, now we're finally getting somewhere. Who taught you everything you know? Who made pleasing women not seem like an unbearable chore? Who was it you suggested I seek for assistance on performing better, and how I should get bigger breasts to look more like her?"

      She knew the disturbing comment regarding what he did with a certain family member was true instantly from the way colour vanished from his face; he obviously knew what was being implied and was too guilty to even attempt denying it. It made her want to retch at the thought of it—she was glad she'd never laid eyes on her, otherwise perverted mental images would infiltrate her mind of thee two of them at it, even if him losing his virginity to her was still valid. She choked back heavier sobs which broke his heart to listen to, and she either chose not to hear him trying to comfort her, or she was genuinely too caught up in her misery to acknowledge anything else.

      "Jess, I'm sorry for whatever things I said last night. I'm sorry you had to see me like such a jerk, and I'd take it back if it could help things, but it can't so I won't pretend like everything I said never happened. They did. I don't see why I suggested you try to look more like her; I prefer how you look, even now when you look like you've eaten a mountain. I love you and you alone, and if you ever changed your physical appearance to please me, it would be the day I leave you. You can look whatever way you want, just as long as you're happy with it, not sacrificing your feelings for someone else's"

      "You still said it James, what's in a man sober comes out when he's drunk"

      "Jessie I don't feel like I'm suffering from a hangover, and I should have from the amount I must have drunk to not be capable of remembering what went on last night"

      She stayed silent for a minute, trying her hardest to believe her husband but still felt disgusted at the truth. She couldn't decide whether he really meant what he said, or if he was just covering his tracks to try and smooth talk her into accepting him back. She wanted to say that she'd suspected strongly his drink had contained more than just alcohol but then she'd have to explain why she didn't mention anything sooner, and have the tables turned. She knew he was trying to be open with her without hurting her feelings, but to what extent would he reveal with that risk of making her feel unhappy?

      "I was with her when I went cold turkey from drugs, she was there to make sure I didn't go back or try anything crazy when I couldn't take something to make me feel better. I couldn't love her in the standard sense of the word, she was a blood relation after all, but I'm glad she didn't tell my parents where I was or throw me out when I needed help. I don't know if I'd still be alive if I hadn't had someone to turn to"

      "It's my turn to be honest with you; I don't think you were drunk last night when you said all those things"

      "But I told you I can't remember a thing"

      "I think you were high"

      "How can you accuse me of taking drugs on our wedding day? I've been clean since I was sixteen, that's nearly three years now"

      "I think the champagne was spiked, you told me you only felt as good as you did last night when you played the incestuous role, or when you sampled a new batch of drugs to sell. It makes sense; you were never as mean or as out of control as you were last night"

      "Out of control, is that what you said? I didn't hit you or anything, did I? Oh Jess I'm so sorry"

      "No, it was nothing like that. You didn't care about what you said, or how it affected me when I heard it. You've never mentioned anything so willingly before, or scratched upon your relationship with her. If she wasn't your aunt, you'd still be with her, wouldn't you?"

      "Please stop bringing her up, she's not a part of my life anymore, and she lives nowhere near where we are so I may never see her again anyway. I love you Jessie, I hate having sowed so many feelings of mistrust in your head. If you don't feel able to forgive me for hiding things from you for so long, I'll make it easier for you and sign a form for annulment, if it's what you want"

      She cried even harder at the thought of her marriage not even lasting for a whole day, then as he tried to comfort her again, she stood up and walked out of the hotel room, folding her coat's panels against her front to protect her from the harsh wind. James sat up sharply to go after her, momentarily forgetting about the handcuffs. He was pulled back by his own force and dislocated both of his shoulders in one smooth moment, and his throat was too dry and sore for him to call after her. He struggled to keep his arms' ability to move, but then the nausea overpowered him as the swirling was much for him to deal with in his weakened state. His thoughts were not with concerns for whatever drugs were in his system, but worrying about whether or not she'd walk back into his life, or if this was truly it for their relationship.

      Butch awoke with a lighter feeling than he'd felt in weeks, almost like an enormous lift had mysteriously vanished from his shoulders overnight. He grinned cheerfully to himself, knowing the reason for his unexpected happiness was his ten minutes with Cassidy. It had been heartbreaking to see her leave again, but he knew better than to follow her when Meowth had granted him ten minutes, and ten minutes alone. Plus, this way he may be rewarded with another, longer visit from her in the future since he'd followed his instructions most agreeably. She'd been a far better kisser than he'd imagined in the duration of all the years he'd known her, which made him even sorrier that he waited until she was faced with death to reveal his feelings to her. Still, at least he was proving himself to her by standing with her as she overcame her greatest challenge to date, and then at the end of it all, he'd be able to join her in wedlock, their love clear to all who looked in their direction. Of course, he wouldn't think like this if he knew Cassidy was buried in a plot of ground in the Team Rocket graveyard, reserved for the select few members that earned their worth in their careers, whilst staying on the good side of the leader. Miyamoto was going to be dumped in one of the mass graves around the country where rebels were sent, until Giovanni pleaded with his mother to allow her some dignity. She was buried in the prestige plot, but with insults filling up her headstone. Soul-destroying wouldn't come anywhere near the effect it would have on Jessie if she ever found this out, as it would be for Butch if he found out he was having wet dreams about a scientifically modified pokémon.

      Jessie returned to the honeymoon suite approximately an hour and a quarter later after doing as much soul searching as her mind could handle, with a firm decision regarding their marriage solidly embedded in her head. She'd wished she'd put more layers on before leaving it in the first place, as the wind was unbearably bitter, filled with a sharp bite that felt typically like blustery April weather. She'd wished the truth had been nothing more than a sick April fool's joke on her, but she felt it was probably for the best that she knew more than she had before, since it meant he hid less from her if for no other reason. She also pondered how much he still hid, and wondered what else he could have felt like sharing with her if he hadn't started tripping from the drugs or fallen asleep when he wore himself out too much with crying.

      She walked over to the bed and placed her fingers lightly on his lips, forbidding him to speak without voicing it. She didn't apply much force either, making it clear she wasn't too annoyed with him for the present, and then she told him how hurt he'd made her feel, especially when he'd compared her to an ex. He started to protest but she pressed her hand further down on his mouth, sternly but still with an air of playfulness about it. She explained she'd run her irritation out of her system and she wasn't going to shame herself by admitting to others she'd cancelled her marriage before she gave it a chance, so she was willing to forget the incident if he was. He nodded, his vision better and being able to define her shape out of the surrounding blur, making him capable of seeing the certain look that danced across her eyes. He sucked on her fingers covering his mouth, then noticed she was undoing her damp coat, exhaling that he owed her a honeymoon night, and they'd better make sure they had one whilst they still had the suite. The matching grin on his face made it evident that he had no problems with her plan, especially when she failed to remove the handcuffs for their session. He actually forgot his shoulders were dislocated after a while, the process was that enjoyable.

      Tyra awoke with great difficulty, and when she was finally fully alert she was completely paralysed, except for her eyes. She panicked at not knowing what was going on, and not being able to even twitch her finger to end her corpse-like state. It took her the best part of fifteen minutes to calm down and attempt to think rationally as to why she got like this, then she realised that although the deadly poison the dart had sent coursing through her body hadn't killed her, this must be a nasty side-effect to the survivors to ensure they didn't interfere with her plans again. How long was she going to suffer like this, would she starve to death from not being able to prepare food? Would she dehydrate, and if so would the rate of acceleration be altered to how it normally should take because of the poison? Or would she stay immobile like this for longer, as her body wouldn't need vital nutrients for survival as badly from her state of suspended animation? The thoughts scared her, and the whole nightmare was worse to endure when her heart accelerated, making her fear a heart attack on top of all her other fears. If she died now, her life would have been totally meaningless; she needed to exact revenge before she could close her pulse to fate.

      Lindsey felt eyes watching her from two directions all morning as she continued to work on breaking the code James wrecked the system with; they couldn't pay for replacements of the machinery he ruined—not because of the expense as it could easily be afforded, but the police had become suspicious when they'd purchased the system the first time around and caused more grief than what they felt like repeating. She grinned to herself like a schoolgirl when she considered the aspect of Giovanni watching her, so she was trying her absolute hardest to succeed in what she had been unable to do for a few days now. She couldn't compose any real reason why she glowered so heavily when she forced Giovanni out of her thoughts for a few seconds and remembered Anthony stared at her with adoration constantly. She'd fancied him for months, so why did she almost immediately turn off him when they'd hooked up together after dreaming about it for so long? Granted, she'd seen the potential promotions if she kept twisting Giovanni around her little finger (she wasn't sure how she was doing it), but what could a low-class security guard ever have that would be worth her while?

      She tapped one of the keys impatiently whilst she considered what other methods she could use to separate the links of coding and make it easier for her to solve, not attempting to break one of the chains, but to make it look to her superior that she was busy at work. Maybe if she was able to look busy enough, Anthony would refrain from running over to her side to talk and question her like he'd done on his two minute break as he swapped places with another guard all week. Suddenly something completely unexpected happened; a loud beep was emitted by the computer and the screen went a mind-boggling green. When the green reverted back to what it should look like, she noticed the most complex code had been dealt with, and it shouldn't be too taxing for her to solve the rest. Giovanni came over to see what the colour and sound had been related with, and complimented her on her skill by delivering a swift kiss and an obligatory squeeze of her side to try and prove his dominance without hurting her too much or making her angry. He'd never run that risk until he learnt of her greatest weakness to exploit it mercilessly as a form of sadistic foreplay to her death; he had to milk it for all it was worth, otherwise her ghost would surely haunt him until his dying day, and knowing his luck, she'd haunt him long after that as well.

      The newlyweds sat beside each other on a bus to Sunset City, both having considered the name as seeming like somewhere ideal to settle down and start their family together. James still felt more than slightly delicate but felt worse about him unwittingly taking drugs and causing his wife to feel terribly upset and give evidence he'd often lied to her more than he had done in the whole of the time they'd been together up until then. His shoulders were still causing him agony but he felt he should endure a lot worse for hurting the woman he loved, especially when he couldn't think of anything that'd cheer her up. She was over the hardest part of his secrets now, after spending the morning crying her heart out at the river with nobody around and no voices to hear except for the ones of her honest inner feelings. She wondered whether or not she wanted to know whatever else he hid from her, and if they'd hurt her more than what he'd chosen to share with her. She felt herself drifting asleep in his arms, exhausted from all of the crying she'd done, the throbbing of the bus assisting her in her travel to slumber.

      James listened to her soft breathing, eternally grateful she'd decided against performing an annulment on their marriage. He couldn't believe he'd acted so inconsiderately towards her, even in his subconscious state of being. He felt like he'd let himself down more than he had her, partially because he'd broken his inner promise of never letting her be upset as a result of something he'd done or said. Partially because he was afraid he'd slipped back into the habit of hurting everyone around him, but he was most afraid that the small taste of drugs had been enough to sweep him back into the obsession that dominated his later teenage years.

      He kissed his wife on her forehead as she nestled against him in her sleep and rested his hand on her stomach, feeling her heartbeat from her breast pressing into his side, and feeling his daughter kick for attention, proving to the world she existed. Not once in all the years he spent growing up would he have imagined having a wife and child before he was even nineteen, but what was more unbelievable was the thought of him successfully settling with the woman he'd spent almost all of his life loving. He noted she was doing something she seldom did, usually only when she was more exhausted than tired—she was talking in her sleep. He held his breath out of habit as he strained to hear what she was saying against the engine of the vehicle, then he smiled to himself as she murmured something when their child delivered a particularly hard kick to her stomach; it would seem that her subconscious had already selected a name for their child without first consulting the father. Still, it sounded pretty and would probably suit her, and strangely he didn't feel any sort of acrimonious resentment towards her for not involving him in it, probably because he was still sore at not being there for almost every day of her pregnancy thus far.

      Sickened to the stomach didn't come anywhere close to describing the emotions Anthony felt as he endured the semi-hardcore performance in his clear vision between what was supposed to be his girlfriend and ultimate employer. She'd cracked several more codes after the hardest had been solved in that absolute fluke earlier, now it was time for her break and the first part of her reward for a job well done. The other security members were entirely impervious to this, as it was something that frequently went on in the corporation. Anybody that passed comment on it or voiced an objection were relieved of the pressures of their job or their life, or worse, placed as a test subject in the evil laboratories that lurked beneath the floor they stood on. He certainly didn't want to become the topic of the scientists' banter for whatever research or experimentation they'd carried out on him, yet it was breaking his heart to bear witness to such situations. Holding Cassidy as she became a bloody state of lifeless matter was easier to watch than the girl whose virginity he'd lovingly and gently taken becoming a whore right in the middle of his shift. He bitterly hoped that she was being paid enough to act, and that her cries of joy weren't real, since they sounded like they were genuinely filled with more passionate ecstasy than she'd ever done in any of the times they'd slept together.

      James' mother viewed the young couple from the balcony of the most exquisite restaurant in the city, taking particular note of what hotel they deposited their luggage in, noting with repugnance that it was long past an hour when they exited the building. As much as she'd despised him for messing up her life by being born at a most inappropriate time, she felt further antipathy by him screwing street trash as if he was of common, worthless descent and screwed like a good-for-nothing nidoran. She also resented the trash he chose, waltzing around with her swollen stomach on display for the whole world to see as if it was the proper way to act. She'd been made to stay in a dark room for twelve months when she was eleven-and-a-half years old, so when her disgraceful bundle was in the world, he'd spend the first couple of months developing his senses. He was not allowed to see the breast from which he suckled even though he would never be able to remember it, as nudity of the opposite sex was strictly forbidden until his wedding night, where he should be working on her heir, even though she felt like murdering him for merely existing. She'd felt like murdering her husband more, as his inapt lusting had caused their lineage to forever be tainted from an accident of pre-marital origin.

      She excused herself from the table upon seeing her son and daughter-in-law begin what would probably be a whole afternoon's shopping, and then she headed for the edifice's restrooms. She waited until it was empty and then allowed an uncharacteristic batch of tears to flow down her cheeks, somehow still maintaining a certain air of elegance with the procession. How had she become so callous, unwanted and unloved by almost everyone who occupied matter in the planet? The solitary child she'd ever had, if she wanted to hold onto her precious reputation and not remarry after the correct amount of time for grievance required for her husband's demise, was never going to speak to her again in pleasant terms and it was all her fault. Another reason why she resented him now was because he was in a happy marriage that hadn't involved her or another member of the upper class community, and there was little she could do to get his attention without snarling threats escaping from his mouth. Of course, she possessed the power to destroy his little nest of mirth now; she was just waiting for the opportune moment to deliver it as she only had one shot at using it. Could she really destroy their happiness now? She was thirty-one, without another chance of giving birth even though she had a good few years until she hit the menopause, so should she ruin the son's marriage when it had only begun? She dried her eyes and exited when she looked immaculate again, feeling incredibly hollow and she realised her resentment of the marriage was directly linked with the longing in her heart to know what love with someone of her own choosing was like.

      Meowth followed his former partners at a distance, his sharp hearing detecting all that was said between them without any particular effort required on his behalf. He'd left Butch for the day, as he found the boy's babbling regarding his gratitude for providing him with his girlfriend for the night rather irksome to say the least. He'd felt incredibly tempted to tell him that it wasn't any trouble for him to arrange it, as the ditto had been yearning for a new way of toying with his mind. His jealousy soared within him again as he saw his ex-friends walking in and out of every property agent's in town, chattering away to each other about the houses they'd looked at, and how they'd be almost able to afford whichever they wanted with the savings in James' account. As the evening wore on, the couple made the feline even more jealous by entering shops and examining products that would come in use for when the baby came, such as a crib for her, toys and clothing. They were so caught up in their sentimental thoughts that they failed to notice Meowth stealing James' wallet and safely darting back into the crowds.

      He felt no guilt whatsoever in rummaging through his belongings, carelessly flicking through the photographs stored, quite sure that Jessie hadn't seen some of the pictures in there or if she had, her temperament was a lot better and considerate than it had been when he'd been her friend. He took a provocative image of a woman he didn't recognise and placed it over the one of Jessie that was at the very front to see how she'd react to him. He took all of the notes out of the back and crumpled them to fit between the pads on his paws; he didn't need the money, but would rather his friends had nothing to pay for things to spoil the baby with when they didn't care about him. He extracted the cards and scratched them all deeply along the magnetic strip, just to certify they couldn't afford it. When he was done with his amusement, he hurled the wallet through the air and hit Jessie squarely in the back.

      "Ouch! What was that?"

      "What's wrong honey? Is the baby kicking a little too hard?"

      "No, something just hit me in the back, yet I can't see anyone around that looks like they could have done it"

      "Are you okay? Hey that's mine, I didn't even feel it go missing"

      He flicked through the sections and grumbled at being left with only a handful of chunk change left when he knew he'd had a lot in paper money. At least the pesky pickpockets hadn't stolen his cards, so when they went to pay for anything, he'd at least have them as backup. He was glad he'd paid for that night in the hotel already; he knew the banks would be shut at this point so he would be strapped for cash until then. He hooked his arm around Jessie's waist whilst maintaining a firm grip on his wallet in case more burglars assumed him to be easy prey and chose not to return it. He hadn't noticed the picture change yet, but if Jessie did and he had to explain who it was he'd land in very hot water—it was the only picture he'd dared to keep of his aunt, and strangely enough it was the cleanest one he'd ever owned of her, otherwise he'd have kept another.

      As it turned out, they happened upon a few items of baby clothing that were almost completely out of stock and not likely to be reordered so they both agreed they should buy them, so they'd have something ready for when their bundle of joy would enter their lives. They queued for forty-five minutes as the last of the crowds went to purchase their goods as it was nearing the store's closing time, both giddy at the notion of making the first official preparation for their forthcoming child. When they hit the checkout at long last, James handed over his bank card and apologised for not having cash on him, but he'd been pick-pocketed in their store whilst browsing. The store clerk gave a bright but horribly insincere smile and gave an even more unbelievable apology that was apparently right from the bottom of her heart. She ran the card through the machine four times but each time it told her that a fatal error occurred throughout the transaction and that the card wasn't useable. He apologised and handed her all of the cards, feeling more than a little annoyed when the same thing happened in all of the attempts, and he was told to return to the store in the morning with cash, as he was holding up all of the remaining customers. He reluctantly complied with the request, on the condition they put the clothes aside with their name on it so they wouldn't be replaced on the shelves and sold before they returned. Both felt a sense of disappointment as opposed to enraged or annoyed with the thief's maliciousness, as if this was a bad omen with regards to their life as a married couple with their first-born. Avery dark omen indeed.

      Butch enjoyed a warm shower in Meowth's absence, spending the time merrily debating the possibilities of asking Cassidy to marry him without making him sound like a desperately lovesick teenager or giving his employer a decent reason to ridicule him. He felt his lower body shift at the thought of sleeping with her and he moaned slightly as the hot water hit off it, as it enhanced his feeling yet he didn't want to seem more like a teenager by touching himself until he removed it, even though he was in a shower and could clean up easily. He turned the water off and began to towel himself off as he resisted his body's urges and eager demands. He stepped into his room and as a force of habit closed the door behind him, even though the only other person around would be Meowth and well, he was a pokémon so it wouldn't be all that embarrassing at the end of the day. He thought he heard material move even though he knew that wasn't possible when he was the only one there, so he turned around to sate his curiosity nevertheless.

      He was astounded at the sight that lay before him; spread out on the bed for his pleasure was the love of his life wearing nothing other than a diaphanous slip that hid nothing other than the skin beneath the thin strips of white fluff that ran around the neckline and very bottom of it. He thought she looked very erotic right then, and his male urges increased tenfold as she played with the straps. She whispered that the doctors had given her new breasts with clever but expensive cosmetic surgery, so she was wondering if he'd like to try them out. He didn't think anything other than what she'd told him, like how her skin would be untouchable for a couple of weeks if the surgery really had occurred, and how fondling them would most certainly not be a feasible option for quite some time thereafter. He assumed Meowth had arranged the whole thing as he knew he'd be away for most of the day and had forbidden Butch from leaving the room, for any reason that may arise. All he considered was the naked blonde he longed to be with right in front of him with her legs spread and begging him to do what he'd wanted to do for years. Meowth would actually be the more annoyed and angry of the two when he found out his two most useful pets had slept together; that wasn't supposed to happen yet in his plan.

      That evening, Jessie and James amused themselves by poring over the information they'd gathered on a few houses they'd considered as possible homes for them to grow 'less young' as Jessie put it, still denying the fact that one day she'd grow old and be the not-so-proud owner of an unflattering set of wrinkles. They found many complaints with the room but neither could be bothered going downstairs and reporting it to the owner, as it would mean time apart from the other, and they were in the midst of a really cosy atmosphere. He found himself wrapping his arms around Jessie's stomach and pronouncing his undying love for her more regularly than he did any other night, and although it always rang pleasure in each of their hearts, neither knew why they felt it stronger that night. Perhaps the feeling of their looming parenthood appeared closer than before after an evening of looking at countless things she'd definitely require when she arrived in the world in two short months, and it could have made them more sentimental.

      Meowth was more than irritated; he was livid with rage when he came back to the room and discovered Butch had defiled his best living weapon in his short absence, but also horrifically aware that this was a treasonous act performed by the ditto deliberately, as he hadn't told it to transform into any shape in particular before he left. He stormed off and mixed Jessie's cocktail of nebulous thyroproxine and poison, unaware that whilst he smouldered away with ideas of what to do to the pokémon for performing a mutiny, he mixed the two bottles up and injected two syringe worth's of nebulous thyroproxine and no poison into the container, and did not notice it was wrong until long after he'd returned from giving the concoction to her.

      James pulled back after a long, passionate kiss to say he loved them both again, but then he cheekily added that he didn't know why she needed him when she'd carried and named their child without any assistance carried out on his behalf.

      "What are you talking about now? You've not been taking in anything other than oxygen have you?"

      "Nope, I'm clean as far as I know, unless the thief slipped me something I didn't feel, taste or remember swallowing"

      "Thanks for that useless information, now could you possibly be so kind as to tell me what you're on about now? We haven't even tried naming her yet"

      "Not together we haven't, but I heard you talking in your sleep. It seems you've called her something by yourself; I think it sounds beautiful anyway"

      "What is it then? I don't know how you expect me to remember it when it was just a passing comment in a dream no doubt"

      "You said it like it's firmly her name, as if it's something you call her every night when you're half-asleep and want her to calm down and let you get some rest"

      "Please tell me then honey, you know what suspense does to me!"

      "The same thing oxygen, food, television, drink and everything else under the sun does—makes you horny!"  
      "Not what I was implying, but now that you mention it…"  
      "Okay, in a second then. Alyssandra"

      "Sorry?"  
      "Alyssandra, that's what you were calling her when you wanted her to stop kicking her"

      "Alyssandra?"

      "Yes"

      "You're right, it does sound like I left you out in naming her, but you're right again in the sense that it suits her and is beautiful. I guess I've got good instinct"

      "You certainly do, but now you're going to have a good time, and this time I think you should be the one handcuffed. Just don't sit up too quickly in the morning; I knocked both shoulders out of joint doing that"

      "Yes sir, but please go easy on me. I'm a virgin"

      He started laughing at the ridiculously false statement she said—he didn't know what pointed out it was wrong more, the swell of her pregnancy that was created through sex, or her flirtatious expression, trying to seduce him without having to tell him to do it again. He agreed to her request and said that he was afraid she hadn't done it before, since he didn't want her blood causing a mess over his body when he removed her virginity, unaware how sincerely he'd mean not wanting her blood on him in the next few hours.


	14. 2nd April, 2001

                                                                                ~*~*~R—controversial, sensitive matter dealt with in this chapter~*~*~

          A lot of ridiculous theories and notions have reached my ears since my time on this planet began eighteen years, ten months and sixteen days ago. Many are harmless, such as a simple thought debating how life began—brain food for philosophers and scientists; it's the sexist remarks and prejudices that annoy me. They're not true, they've never been true, or at least not in every person's case, as is suggested by such wide and often hurtful generalisations. Women live to please men, and they are beautiful creatures, far too delicate and gentle so therefore forbidden to fight for instance. I actually agree with the latter, there's nothing uglier or sexless about seeing a woman battling it out with another (I never found mud-wrestling a turn-on), bulging muscles and nasty tempers should stay with fat old men who can't hold their liquor. Just try telling this to my partner—she makes herself beautiful with pretty clothes and make-up, but it's her temper that fails to make her fragility credible—well, that and her brutal strength, weapons…She doesn't live to please me though. I'll admit I didn't want this child at first, we're too young really to settle down with our baby, our darling daughter Alyssandra, but I loved the idea as soon as it truly sank in. With this loveable addition, we'd be a true family at long last. It's remarks regarding men being forbidden to show emotions and feelings or care in any way that annoys me the most—how could I not? Especially now, how could I do that?

                                                 Monday, April 2nd 2001

          James woke up in the dead of the night, sweating from the combined heat of both him and his wife, presently sleeping serenely on top of him. As much as he usually endured such situations in silence and without action, on this occasion his bladder was protesting and convinced him to opt differently this time. He kissed her forehead lightly to pass as a mild apology as he pulled her hips upward slightly to separate their bodies, hearing a familiar suction sound as he did. A smile passed his lips as he recalled the night's passion that gave their honeymoon a run for its money, but in spite of his nostalgia he was careful to make sure she didn't wake up as he positioned her whilst sliding out beneath her. He kissed her again as he settled her back on the bed; even though he could barely make her features out in the dark, he could almost guarantee that she smiled both times he did that. She'd always subconsciously do it when she was kissed by anyone in her sleep; he used to do it occasionally before she'd learnt his true feelings towards her. He left the bed, praying the mattress filling out his shape wouldn't wake her as he stumbled over a myriad of things as he headed towards the bathroom. He missed his almost perfect vision so much.

           He decided against flicking the light switch on lest it wake up his sleeping lover, and he realised a little late that he'd forgotten to wipe himself first, forcing him to hold onto his manhood (with much disgust) to urinate with hours-old fluid already there. He grimaced and reached for some tissue paper when he was finished, yet typically there was none left for him to use—it was yet another complaint to add to the list of flaws with their room. He exasperatedly shook himself and ran his hand through his hair, instantly regretting it as he did, feeling the moisture settling on his forehead. He turned on both taps yet not even a drop of water trickled out of the spouts, and he made a mental note to refuse to pay the bill when they left. He flexed his fingers to stop them sticking together before furiously rubbing his forehead dry as he thought of what was on him—even though he'd touched that formula before, it was brandishing it on his face that was another issue, especially since he wasn't horny. He ceased only when he felt positive his pores had absorbed the liquid and it wouldn't attract feathers from the bed linen to his face.

           He began to walk back towards the bed, interrupted momentarily by a yawn, which he automatically stifled (he grimaced again as soon as he did it) as he configured a plan to return to bed without waking Jessie up—if she rested enough now, she mightn't feel the sleepless nights as much when Alyssandra would require feeding at all hours in a couple of months. He involuntarily licked his lips as he surveyed her lying in the middle of the bed as he tried to formulate a plan to get more than two centimetres to himself, and then he stopped dead in his tracks. He headed straight back to the bathroom and flicked on the light, not caring if he woke her up anymore. As soon as he could look against the bright light without wincing or seeing a collection of colours, he examined his appearance extremely closely in the mirror.

          I love her I love her I love her. I've loved her since the day we met all those long, hard years ago. I've only told her this in recent months; I've wasted a lot of time where we could have been together happily as a couple. She's easily the most precious thing in my life, mine's nothing compared to hers. We've stuck together in every issue without selecting the good alone—we suffered enough hardships and rowed before we took our vows to last a lifetime, please don't let this be another one. I can't lose her now, it's just not possible. I'll love her until my dying day, just please don't let today be hers. I never meant to do it Jessie, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry.

                                                                                                                        ***

           His calm exterior shattered without warning the second he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror; he didn't know what scared him more: the image that stared back at him, or what it signified. He was positively panicking at this point, scratching repeatedly at his skin as he tried to remove the offending pigments; instead of the culmination of fluids they'd both created at the height of their sexual enjoyment as he'd previously imagined, blood lay instead on the walls, around his mouth, on his manhood, in his hair; it was similar to some twisted body paint one would adorn themselves with whilst making sacrifices to their gods. He tried the taps again but still nothing came out of them, even though they were twisted back to their full extents; tears began to well in his eyes out of frustration. He sped out of the bathroom and headed immediately towards the light switch, not caring what his wife would say to the sudden light if it stole her from her slumber. His worries heightened instead of decreasing when she didn't respond to the action in any way, plus his worst fears were confirmed when he saw the heavy spoilage on the white bed clothing; her hot blood was obviously the excuse for his uncharacteristic need to urinate in the night.

            He lifted her up to free her air passages as well as to hold her closer to him. In spite of his voice being strained from not taking medicine in a few hours, he ran the risk of becoming a mute by screaming her name out repeatedly next to her ear, each one with more decibels that the last. He shook her as he did it, but not overly so in case he created more dangers against his beloved's life. He kissed her deeply as another attempt to fight some response from her, yet she stubbornly refused to obey his wishes and made no attempt to show she was all right to him. He heard a few angry shouts and thumps on the wall adjacent to the bed, obviously telling him to be quiet so they could get some sleep or else they'd get the manager or something, but he chose to ignore them, if he indeed heard them at all.

             His voice was worse than it had been five months ago yet he persisted in shouting her name despite the almost unbearable pain and hoarseness, praying to all deities to ensure her safety, even if it meant he'd sacrifice something of his own for her life. As much as he despised relying on glasses for his sight, he'd readily become blind if it meant she'd survive even though it went completely against his personal fears. She needed to get some medical assistance so they could save Alyssandra, and the sooner she got that the better in case the haemorrhaging suddenly became too great, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her, even if it was only to run down two flights of stairs and across the street for a phone booth—it was just too risky an option for her to be alone for that time. His prayers and problems were partially solved mere moments later when he heard one of his offended neighbours hammering on the door with their fists. He took the latch off the door and opened it slightly without looking at who disturbed him—he'd already returned to his wife by the time they'd opened it properly. He tilted Jessie's head back and took the pulse at her neck as he thought how cold she was becoming, causing his own pulse to quicken whilst hers seemed to do the exact opposite. He noted his fingertips were slipping on her bare skin as a wave of anxious sweat washed over him. He used his other hand to examine the beats per second she had at the pulse point on her wrist, knowing that if it were slightly faster there he'd have a problem far more serious than losing his daughter.

            He could vaguely hear the unknown person talking—whether it was to him or someone else he'd never know—which is understandable when his concentration was so obviously directed in another location, plus he felt inhuman being covered in the blood of his lover and their child's. He wasn't even aware he was naked in front of a total stranger/s; all he could contemplate was the disaster in front of him, and he was desperately attempting to fathom why it had started, and why she would not awaken despite his strongest desires for her to do so. He placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and gently eased her eyelid back, noticing a brief fluctuation in the rate her pulse undertook; everything seemed normal yet why was all the blood here? Why was she tearing their lives apart when she hadn't done any strenuous or dangerous work lately?

            He jumped as he felt someone touch his shoulder—not because their hands were cold or the grip was tight, but because he'd genuinely lost sight of the information that someone else occupied the room other than the wedded couple, and being brought back into the living was an act that startled him, then disappointment followed suit when he realized it wasn't Jessie that had done it. Familiarity flicked across both their faces yet neither was able to place the others' name, and both felt it impolite to phrase questions as trivial as that at a crucial moment in time like this. He remembered opening the door now, but he felt discomfort as he saw the woman focusing on the blood adorning his body and genitalia as opposed to helping him in some manner.

            She brought herself out of her minor trance and explained that she'd rung for an ambulance and given them full instructions on how to get there and what room to look for, then she said they were on their way and for him to calm down in case they needed assistance. The words had little effect on him, however; almost as soon as she'd started telling him the paramedics were coming, Jessie had become decidedly colder and a little stiffer. He thought it was a mere affect the chilly atmosphere was having on her, but his anxiety peaked when her pulse dropped. He propped her up properly again and shouted out her name as he ensured her airways were clear, then he realised that no matter how soon the ambulance came, it wouldn't come soon enough if her pulse continued to plummet. He massaged her chest to get her circulation working again, and thankfully it picked up a bit and returned to almost normal. He knew that she had to wake up and fast if survival was to become an option, so with deep regret he struck her once across the face, and the unexpectedness of this move caused the other woman to shriek in shock. He murmured an apology to his wife as he delivered a kiss to her dry lips before doing it again, only this time her eyes flickered open just as his palm collided with her face.

             Oh gods, the way she looked at me then…the way her beautiful eyes stared at me…I'll never forget, no matter what procedures I take to do so. Her accusations were easily the worst—they shredded me in a split second like nothing I've ever known before and devastated my soul almost more than the threat of her death did. They still are. Were they justified? No, but then again there is some truth to her cries. Am I really like this to her? Am I such a terrible person? She's right. I am, and this is my entire fault. I deserve her contempt and more. I don't care if she never forgives me—how can I when I can't forgive myself? I'm sorry Jessie, I never meant to do this I swear, I love our child, and I'll freely swear I do. Stop making me feel worse, make this disaster cease, just for one minute. Please.

                                                                                                                    ***

             She didn't say anything at first as she registered the fact that her husband had just hit her; he'd never done it before even in jest, so why had he chosen to start it up now? And what was that on his body? She sat up properly of her own accord, not fully awake yet, still trapped in her question-filled thoughts. She moved slightly when she'd decided which curiosity to quench first, then she winced sharply from a calamitous pain originating between her legs and it all became frighteningly clear for her. She instantly wept her heart out and tried to stand up to examine the damage, but failed because the blankets were too tightly secured around her body. She also failed to note the presence of the other woman straight away, and even when she did it was of little importance to her. Her sudden movement accelerated the blood's escape course from her weakened body, so she immediately halted her struggle, feeling terrible as the thick fluid oozed swiftly from her body. She crossed her trembling legs in a feeble attempt to reverse the event and allowed her husband to hold her against his equally quake-riddled body, and felt slightly comforted as he kissed her hair; he would have kissed her lips instead but it he didn't want to risk letting her taste her blood like he was doing every second.

             The nameless girl politely excused herself and left, feeling more than a little uncomfortable with a miscarrying woman and her partner covered in her blood a few feet away from her, but her departure wasn't noted by either of them. As she pushed her way through the minor crowd outside the couple's door, she felt a wave of empathy stronger than before, and she was grateful to have done her part in helping them, even though there was a serious possibility she'd intruded with her request for them to stop making such a racket at all hours of the morning just a little too late.

              Jessie tenderly touched her cheek where he'd struck her, fully comprehending his reasons for doing it, yet still despising how far he'd wandered out of his characteristic thoughts and actions to do it. Her temperature was steadily ascending, shooting suddenly past what it usually was as she went from extremely cold to dangerously warm. He immediately noticed the change before the fever kicked in fully and he asked her how she was feeling as he knew she could fall victim to a heart attack from such sudden deviations, but her mind was too busy comprehending new terrible possibilities that had failed to enter her head before now.

              "You did this to me?"

              "What did you just say?"

              "You did this to me, you did it"

              "Jessie what are you talking about? I didn't gain any great pleasure out of hitting you, make no mistake regarding that. I hate hurting you Jess, you know that don't you?"

              "Why should I believe you when this is entirely your fault?"

              "I've accepted it without question when you've blamed me for things in the past, but you can't honestly expect me to accept responsibility for this; I admit I hit you, but I didn't do anything else when you were asleep, believe me"

              "Why should I believe you when everything I hear from your bloodstained mouth is a lie? You made me lose her"

              "Do you think I enjoy watching you like this? I love you, I love her, and seeing this is killing me. You're twisting the knife deeper each time you say you think I caused this to happen. You're not the only one capable of being hurt"

               "Cut the crap you lying bastard; you fucked me twice last night, and what's a remedy offered to relieve overdue women of their burden? Sex, that's what. I'm seven months pregnant James, you should have realised that it would happen, especially when you decide to take risks on more than one occasion per night"

               "I've never heard of that, but then again you've let me know very little about your pregnancy and things you've learnt. Had I known that, then there would have been no possibility of us having sex, even on our honeymoon. I love you and please get it through your head I haven't maliciously wished curses on you to ensure your pregnancy terminated. I wanted to share parenthood with you, and it's not too late so we still can"

               "You've killed her so stop trying to build up my hopes when it isn't going to work. Get the hell away from me; I'm not going to let my daughter hear you attempting to clear your filthy name in her dying moments. I'm not using you as a scapegoat for my anger, you deserve all the words I give you and many more I can't waste my vital energy voicing. Regardless of the golden yarn you're attempting to weave, we both know you're the reason behind this. You've killed her, and for this I can never forgive you. Get the hell away from me, NOW"

              His tears doubled as she completed her sentence with heart-breaking articulation, enunciating all too clearly how she hated him for what was evidently all his doing. The tears increased even more a moment later when he was roughly pushed aside by the medical crew from the ambulance as they tried to determine the extent of damage the foetus would have undergone by this stage, and what method would be most appropriate to move the mother without adding further risks. He felt more than cold as he caught her hate-fuelled stare when she was secured into the stretcher; he'd never seen anything that looked as inhuman as those normally beautiful sapphire eyes did then. It was then he realised that it wasn't shock, anger or panic talking in her venomous statements—she really did blame him for the potential miscarriage, and she probably meant it when she said she wanted her baby murderer as far away from her as possible. In spite of this revelation he made, he still followed his wife as they carried her from the room, but then his world truly fell to pieces when one of the paramedics pushed him backwards, with a gruff explanation saying that the patient didn't wish for his presence, and regardless of the fact he was her husband and father of the child in danger, she still called all the shots as it was ultimately her decision to refuse anything that could add further trauma to the situation and be a potential factor for the baby's death.

              For what seemed like an eternal moment in time, he stood there stunned as the truth finally hit him; in their darkest hour as a couple, he was trying to bring them closer so they could come out of the ordeal with at least each other, and she hated him for it. He failed to understand why she was acting so heartless towards him when he hadn't done anything wrong, or at least not to his knowledge. Had he really caused this like she'd accused him of doing? His thoughts were immediately drawn back to the way she'd stared at him, and he questioned his worthiness to stay alive whilst his daughter was having that right taken from her without her having a say in the matter. His mind was suddenly flooded with things close to his heart that he'd lost without a choice in the matter, such as his grandfather, his eevee and, more recently, Weezing. With a new sense of grievance, he snapped out of his thoughts and went to head out of the room, blatantly refusing to accept Jessie's order on this occasion, no matter what obstacles would arise in his path.

               His first impediment arose as he left the room, when he felt someone catch him sharply at the elbow with such power that he was unable to remove the grip without breaking his stride. He was surprised when he turned to ask whoever it was what they were doing when he discovered it was the nameless girl again, only this time she wore day clothes and had footwear protecting her feet from the cold floor. She advised him to get dressed quickly unless he wished to be detained and arrested by the police for indecent exposure in a public area, and he saw logic in her statement, even though he knew it would cause him to lose valuable seconds in getting to his wife. He still had a niggling feeling at the back of his mind that he should know her, and he assumed that were the situation less tense and vital for his marriage, he'd have probably recognised her immediately. She was also dealing with that sense of half-knowing the man before her, but she felt like asking him trivial questions such as what his name was at a time like this would be both inconsiderate and awkward so she held her tongue in case she made the ordeal any worse for him. As soon as he was dressed he bolted out of the door, wasting not even a second in catching up with his wife.

               A blast of adrenaline brought him to the ambulance without feeling pain in his leg, and when he stopped to argue with the paramedics again it kicked in, yet he didn't feel it because he was too busy concentrating on the situation at hand to allow pain to be a worried thought in his head. They'd secured her properly in the gurney inside the vehicle, and it pained him to see her with so many pieces of equipment attached to her. Her usual colour looked like a deep bronze compared to how deathly pale she was now. He didn't know if it was because of whatever drugs they'd given her, or if she'd changed her mind, but her gaze was beset with fear and worry, as if she was looking for comfort from him instead of blaming him for it. Maybe they'd told her the blood she'd lost already was too much for the baby to survive and she wanted help from her husband as opposed to the war zone she'd initiated. Regardless of her apparent change of heart, the paramedics remained firm with their decision against allowing the young male to board with his wife, as she'd been so distinct at her not wishing him there. They roughly pushed him back and refused to tell him which of the three hospitals she'd be admitted into, and as they slammed the door shut James had never felt so unwanted and Jessie had never felt so cruel, or so bitterly alone.

               She tried to call out she wanted him there with her, but the oxygen mask got in her way and absorbed most of what she was saying, then she felt a sharp jolt in her nether region as the ambulance accelerated sharply down the road and made a hard left. She cried with pain as she had yet to accept the anaesthetic into her system, when what she really needed right now was for James to hold her and say everything would be all right, but because of her, she was unable to have that comfort. She hoped that against all odds, he still loved her and would find a way to the hospital, because she avoided thinking that if she lost her daughter and her husband wasn't there, she'd be utterly alone with no family to call upon to help her share her encumber.

               Marriage is supposed to be the ultimate stage of commitment and devotion in a relationship, yet ours has only been in existence for a day and a half, and already it's in ruins. She doesn't want to see me, she doesn't want to tell me how she feels or how I can make her feel better, she doesn't want to know how I feel or how hearing her voice could make me feel quite a bit better. I never knew sex could create something so beautiful, so fragile, and later try to take it away again. I swear I'd never have done it if I had; a few minutes of pleasure for a sorrow far greater than the joy we felt in those times? It's not the kind of bargain I experience gratification with; I want Jessie to be strong enough just to hold onto our dear little Alyssandra until she makes it to the hospital where they can make the situation all better. I hope she's not going to suffer any long-term damage to her body  for losing so much blood, I couldn't imagine a life without Jessie, not after all these years together. To lose your first child, the one conceived the first night we made love is tragic; to lose your soul mate too is unthinkable.

                                                                                                                         ***

               How he was still able to stand as the ambulance pulled away was a mystery; the pains his body felt struck him all at once and he felt his world crumbling around him, until he felt like he was standing in a street filled with people staring at him for being able to turn his relationship into a powder within a matter of minutes. He felt a hand resting on his back, a small deed which in itself offered the distraught male a great deal of comfort. He turned around and saw the girl offering him a warm smile and he heard her asking where they were taking her. When he sombrely said he didn't know, the look on her face changed and she grabbed him by the elbow again, this time pulling him in the opposite direction to that they'd gone there in. he tried to break her vice-like grip off so he could continue watching the ambulance leave, as he'd felt like that way, he'd at least been a little bit aware of where she was and how she was feeling. He immediately stopped doing it as she told him she'd parked her car in that area, and she was willing to tail the vehicle for him since she felt, in spite of what his wife had said, they should be together at a time like this, and she'd just been too frightened to say it when she'd woken up bleeding heavily. James thanked her in a rush, unable to get the words out coherently because of both his tears and his astonishment at her needless munificence.

               He felt another stab of recognition as he put his seat belt on in the passenger seat, and at this stage he could allow himself a minute to think about who she might be, yet his mind still drew blanks when he thought about it. He couldn't have seen her in the last year as he didn't know her from the pub and he thought very little of women in the months leading up to when he first asked Jessie out (he'd made a resolution on his birthday for her to be his next girlfriend, or he should have at least asked her out by hers in September). He thanked her again as she turned the key in the ignition, this time making certain he'd taken a good long look at her face to assist him in his possibilities to her identity, but all seeing her properly did was make her look more familiar without telling him anything about where she'd grown up or how he knew her.

               She politely accepted his gratitude and told him she'd only done what any considerate human being would have done for another, and since the roads were empty at that hour of the morning, she had no difficulty in seeing the ambulance in the distance and had very little traffic to overtake to get to it. She later added she'd have personally dragged him there if he hadn't tried to get there himself and just given up, as there was something about his charm that reminded her of someone else. She didn't admit that she couldn't put a name to the person she was trying so desperately hard to remember, as it would make her feel more than a little stupid. Something else suddenly occurred to her, so she decided to go through with it, as it might help her decide who he reminded her of as a result.

               "Please excuse my lack of manners; I've forgotten to introduce myself in the heat of what's happening. My name's Violet, pleased to meet you, though I would have preferred for us to do so under more pleasant circumstances"

               She noticed immediate recognition visible on his face, which gave her hope but her heart sank slightly when she saw discomfort flash up in his eyes for a second, which meant this guy was probably the same guy she was trying to remember, and she now wanted to know how she knew him more than ever. He outstretched his hand to meet hers while they were behind a red light and clasped it gently, and with a warm smile he said:

               "James, your ex"

               She was suddenly very glad that the car wasn't moving as her first thought would have been to control the car, as that was an answer she wasn't expecting although it was abundantly clear how she knew him so well now. She felt like venting the years she'd spent hating him in one go now she had a chance, but luckily the traffic light changed colour and her return to driving acted as enough of a distraction for her to calm herself down and remind herself of the situation at hand, and she told herself that no matter how much he deserved it, she couldn't add more pressure to him when he was facing losing his wife and child.

               "So you're married, huh? That's surprising to hear"

               "We only got married on Saturday, if that's what you're wondering. I'm still not completely keen on the whole idea, as you know"

               "You claimed I was the only girl you ever told about your past, is that right?"

               "Yes, Jessie found out by herself. I didn't tell her"

               "Jessie, Jessie, why does that name ring a bell? Oh yeah, she's the one you attacked my Gym with on two occasions, isn't it?"

               "Yeah, it wasn't my idea and I tried to get them to raid other areas instead but they were determined. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to tell you I'm not the jerk I was when we went out"

               "You mean in four short years you've changed completely? Well then that's a real shame, because you were the nicest guy I've ever met, you were just an unbelievable bastard when you left"

               "I told you I couldn't stay longer than a few months, and I mean it when I said you've always held a strong part in my heart, but if I hadn't left so cruelly I don't think I could have left you at all, and there was a lot about me you still didn't know. I used your proposal as an excuse to get away before you got into danger, I just wasn't man enough to stay and explain why"

               "I loved you so much; do you know what it did to the rest of my life? I've had very few boyfriends since then, and I've got rid of them quickly because I feel men are afraid to commit to me"

               "I was going out with you for two and a half years, and I was there with you at your home for a good portion of that time, except for when I couldn't avoid leaving for a couple of weeks at a time. I didn't cheat on you with another girl once, and part of me really wanted to settle down with you when you asked me to marry you, but that opened my eyes. You couldn't marry scum like me and destroy your life, you deserved so much more than me. You still do"

               "How could it destroy my life by settling down with the man I love?"

               "You were the only girl I told about my history, but I was still a useless coward and failed to tell you about my then-present"

               "What are you saying?"

               "I was messed up when I met you, and I have to emphasise now that I never used you, or involved you with what was going on. You saved me from sinking into unknown ground even further"

               "What the hell are you talking about?"

               "I was on drugs when I met you, not really by choice but I'd seen something I shouldn't have so getting out wasn't an option. One of the tasks I had was to get women to like me, and then when I'd convinced them to sleep with me I'd bring them to an arranged place and I wasn't the one to have them, usually it was more than one person that gained pleasure from it"

               "Is that why you kept saying you'd never have sex with someone until you'd married them?"

               "In a way, but I'd wanted to be married first from an early age. The only reason I broke that aspiration was because Jessie wanted to, and as we were both outlaws at the time I didn't see marriage as a possibility. That was when she got pregnant"

               "Would you have sold my virginity out, like you did to the other women?"

               "Never; I saw us as having a future together which is why I risked life and limb leaving that city to be with you. I should have been killed for staying with you, and I would have been if the authorities hadn't arrived when they tried to go through with it. I swore not to return to you again after that; I didn't want to endanger you again, and I didn't want you to see me for what I really was either. In spite of how it must look now, I honestly did care about you"

               She didn't say anything else about the matter, though he could read pain in her expression without any great difficulty. For one short moment, he forgot about Jessie and wanted to make Violet feel better, knowing it was his fault she felt depressed, yet he couldn't think of what to say as there was no excuse for all the times he'd hidden important information from her in their relationship. He was drawn out of his reverie as the car pulled in sharply, and before he could say anything, she mutely pointed straight ahead and he saw that she'd pulled in at the hospital's parking area, and Jessie was carefully being unloaded from the ambulance. He thanked her repeatedly as he unbuckled his seatbelt, then she snapped out of her own trance and caught his hand, looking into his eyes as she showed him she'd forgiven him without the need to say anything. He smiled and kissed her on her cheek before leaving the car and running over to his wife, calling out her name as he raced towards her, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he made it to her as there were more medics helping her than there had been before, and he soon learnt why—she was deathly white and unconscious.

               His first thought was that she was dead, but then logic interfered and told him that if that were the case, then he wouldn't be able to see her as she'd have the blankets over her fully, which acted as a minor comfort to the panic-ridden male. He asked a couple of the medical experts around him what was going on, but he didn't receive a sufficient answer to sate his constant stage of fretting. He was told by the nearest medic to cease obstructing their paths, and before he realised it they'd started directing her towards the operating theatre. He was shown to a nearby room where he'd be granted permission to wait, but only if he stayed there and didn't disturb them for information again, as they'd feed him with every update they'd consider he should know.

               He sank down into his chair, not really aware of the fact he did it, his mind living in a different room, hopefully with his family still alive in it. Possibilities raced through his head without mercy, telling him why it might have happened, or worse, what might happen to them if the ambulance had arrived too late to save her. He felt numb when part of him told him that he'd never be able to hold his daughter, and when he thought about it a violent tremor rushed through him. He glanced up at the clock to see how long he'd approximately been enduring it, and he was horrified to learn it was only 05:34—he was having the worst time of his life when he'd usually still be asleep. He saw a sign on the wall that indicated there were restroom facilities in the vicinity, so he stood up and headed in that direction to clean himself up a bit, feeling horrendous to still have a coat of his wife's blood on him.

                When he was in there, he used the hottest temperature the water would reach to scrub himself clean, and he scalded himself raw in a few places from the constant rubbing of his skin in his desire to remove the terrible markings. Without cause, another violent jolt went through him—he thought perhaps he'd rested on something electrical with wet hands, but upon further inspection he found that wasn't the case. Without him being able of finding a reason to justify it, he suddenly broke down crying more bitterly than before, and he felt almost ashamed that he was unable to take a hold on himself and stop it. He felt incredibly weak and alone right then, and it took him over fifteen minutes to control his sudden outburst of depression.

                As he left the restroom to return to his seat, his heart literally stopped for a few seconds; there was a doctor standing there, and James could tell by his expression that the news he bore would be far from good. The doctor insisted he should sit down before learning the news, and since the male felt like the world was being dragged out from beneath his feet, standing was hardly an option he could go through with for very long anyway. Hydrochloric acid rose immediately to his mouth as he learnt the news since he hadn't digested anything in hours for him to vomit, and he felt in so much shock when he heard all of it that he was unable to react in any way—he felt as alive as chunks of unwanted marble after a sculpture had been finished.

                I know who I am and why I'm supposedly here, but how did this happen? Couldn't they leave me for a few minutes to grieve before accusing me of atrocious things I haven't done? I know my history's against me in this route, but how they found that out I'll never know. Do they really think that I'm capable of killing her, especially when I fought all odds at home just to be with her? I'm not at all like that bitch I used to call mother…is she behind this? No, she couldn't be, because if she learns my past I wont be alive for two minutes thereafter. I've learnt that it wasn't my fault at all, that the last words Jessie said to me weren't true, but how can I prove my innocence, especially when I know so much about it? Beautiful Alyssandra, you never had a chance at life, for this I'm eternally sorry and I wish you could have. I'm grateful the bankcard wouldn't work; not because I didn't want to spoil you but because it would make it all the harder for me to cope with this, my heart is breaking at losing you. And you dearest Jessie, my love…

                                                                                                                    ***

                He sat immobile for what appeared like a thousand countless eternities to him, slowly absorbing what he'd just heard. How could it be true? He couldn't comprehend why such a disaster had to occur just when they'd found their niche in life and even though he'd thought it a possibility, he hadn't properly considered losing someone so close to his heart that night. Jessie had haemorrhaged too heavily through the night, and there had been a time in the ambulance where her situation became critical, then she'd lost the baby whilst they were operating on her. Jessie was still unconscious and her situation deteriorated further by the minute since her body was less likely to accept the analgesics and medicine required to allow her a full recovery. The only change in his actions was he began shaking as he realised the shudder through his body had occurred the same time Alyssandra had been rejected by her mother's body. He felt number by each passing second and couldn't show any emotion as he thought about the harsh reality of the situation, and he knew losing his wife was a terrible but probable possibility, especially when he remembered how tired she'd felt lately—it could be connected to her not being strong enough to support herself and a baby.

                Minutes turned into hours as he sat there; he was unaware of his surroundings as all he could think about was his late child and the prospect of losing the woman he loved, then all his emotions came to a boil as he heard a newborn baby crying down the corridor; it brought it all home that he'd never be able to hold Alyssandra and soothe her until her tears turned to laughter. He heard its mother singing softly to it to help it calm down, which made him wonder if he'd ever be able to hold Jessie closely against his body whenever she felt upset, or whenever he just wanted to let her know he loved her. His attention was almost immediately captured when he heard the doctor saying, to someone he didn't recognise 'that's him there, he was the one that came in with the woman in question this morning'. He looked up to see if there was any information on Jessie's condition, but words failed him altogether when he discovered it was a police officer who immediately placed handcuffs on his wrist and declared him under arrest for infanticide and attempted homicide. He protested and wanted to know the grounds for such accusations, but he wasn't told anything other than his rights, and where he'd stand if he refused to use them.

                 The cell was cold, the whole idea of the accusations and atmosphere colder. The police consulted both of their medical history after an anonymous caller had donated a very generous tip-off, and they'd followed it up and learnt of his knowledge of highly illegal substances, which was a highlighted point as it seemed so uncharacteristic for a law-abiding citizen, as well as a few that were legal only to people in the medical profession. Since he had no qualifications, it was evident he'd partaken in some illicit actions to gain both knowledge and substances, yet they seemed uninterested with the notion of the unpaid bills they'd collected over the years. He was sitting there alone, not yet interrogated for information about his shady history and this made the waiting worse, since he didn't know exactly what the person to throw this spanner into the works had said, so he didn't know to what extent he could be liberal with his knowledge and experiences. He was fretting about Jessie's safety so he'd tell them anything they wanted, provided he wasn't too free with his words since it could result in him serving time in prison when he should be piecing his life back together with Jessie. He was finding it difficult to deal with the indictments that made him think about the worst parts of his life, combined with thinking about the very worst part of his life and how he was unable to cope with the situation and grieve with his wife, who could be dead for all he'd learnt of her condition.

                 The questioning didn't go well for him, though he did divulge information on Team Rocket like there was no tomorrow to get that bastard of a Giovanni back for raping his wife, plus to make it worse Alyssandra had existed at the time, so she'd suffered the ordeal almost as badly as Jessie had. He could never forgive that instance, as the deception on him had worked and his instant but easily explained assumption she'd been unfaithful caused her to suffer one of the worst crimes a woman can face (AN let me assure you it's not fun or enjoyable in the slightest) whereas he'd frisked with the bitch that was trying to kill him. So many times he'd thought their marriage would have happened a lot sooner and without even a week's disruption would have been if Mondo hadn't screwed around with him that day to nearly kill Meowth and have it off with his wife when she was in misery on the way home. He'd rip that filthy rapist he'd once considered friend asunder if it weren't for the fact he was already dead; he couldn't believe there could be so many ways in which he'd made Jessie suffer, as all those problems rooted back to him or his family. He hated her suffering now, alone to discover the results of her first attempt at motherhood. He'd lost concentration frequently in the questioning session as he pondered whether or not she'd still be alive whenever he got out of the mess in which he presently dwelt.

                 Suddenly he came up with the conclusion it was Tyra that had shopped him since he realised Violet wouldn't know his involvement in unlawful and frequently fatal abortions with deliberately infected equipment and nebulous thyroproxine, yet Tyra would know whatever Chopper had told her at the end of his life, jealous that he was not waiting to settle with the baby of his she supposedly had carried until the miscarriage. He felt insatiable rage building up in him at her doing it to him; he couldn't allow himself to think his sperm must be tainted and unable to let a child make the whole nine months of a pregnancy since it would involve him thinking about having sex with Jessie. After what he'd seen, the likelihood of them engaging in any nocturnal activity of a carnal nature was not possible, as he'd always think of the heavy clumps of clotting blood seeping like a river out of her and would be unable and unwilling to perform.

                 Meowth stared at his former female companion and partner in crime from a safe area that was mainly unnoticed from humans. He couldn't believe he'd allowed his emotions to blind him to the extent of him messing up the formula last night—he'd given her enough to poison her female organs, so if the nightmare became worse and she'd require a hysterectomy he'd never be able to forgive himself. He'd never wanted her to lose the baby; he'd just wanted to make them fret about its safety so they'd never think about him until he received an opportune moment to remind them of the partner they turned their back on and forgotten. His midnight blue eyes were constantly building up with moisture, but never once did he let any drop in case he made a sound that alerted staff to his unlawful whereabouts, which made his suffering harder to cope with for the feline.

                 He couldn't remember a time when he'd seen her look so frail, so helpless, so pale. It was worse for the little cat-type to deal with the loss of the baby he'd always imagined himself getting stuck minding whilst the teenage parents danced the night away at a party when he knew it was his fault, and that since he hadn't been around for months leading up to the birth anyway he would never have been chosen for such a job. He'd rung the police with a little hint towards James' past to throw the limelight of blame away from him, but he'd never considered the possibility of them being heartless enough to take a grieving father far away from his almost-dead wife. The whole idea of such an abominable atrocity was simply unforgivable to him, and he wished he could call them back and say it wasn't true, but, of course by now James would have poured his soul open if it meant he could be near Jessie again.

                 He felt that cold jab of horror return to his stomach as he dwelt on his actions, the same one he'd felt when he'd returned from giving her the dose and saw that instead of the bottles of poison and nebulous thyroproxine holding the same capacity since the same amounts were withdrawn from each at the same time, there was a great difference between the amount of remaining in each. He couldn't even blame Butch for this mix-up, as he'd been so determined to do it himself from the way he'd given Jessie some, as unintentionally as it had been, in the middle of the day a few days ago. That had made him lessen the amounts to give to her over the following days as he hadn't wanted her to lose it, but now all his careful calculations were useless because of his stupid and needless mistake, and he wanted more than anything else to be able to bring the child back to life. This was the first time since he'd been released from his comatose state that he'd thought like he used to, the first time he'd felt sympathy and acted with a conscience, the first time he'd truly wanted to turn the clock back so his friends could be happy together, even if they chose for him not to exist in their equation.

                 James buried his face in his hands and cried bitterly when his emotions overwhelmed him in the prison; it had just been too much for him to recall all of the women he'd betrayed into their gang rapes, his witnessing of women losing their children for their disobedience in some way or another…at least he hadn't been a part of Alyssandra's departure from this world. He'd been told of the suspicious levels of illegal substances in her body, such as an almost lethal quantity of nebulous thyroproxine and a culmination of two nasty poisons that would have eventually caused a heart attack if she was given them at a regular basis for long enough. He made it clear that although he'd never given her anything, or knowingly taken anything himself at any time over the last two years, he told them she wasn't ever a part of his world and never touched anything that was illegal, unless they included their drinking together even though neither was old enough to drink yet.

                 Since he could be used as a valuable source for information on the drugs world, he was injected with a truth serum to ensure every word was true, though he held back on a few facts in case du Paor ever found out he was still alive and a threat to his evil circle. Now the interviewing period was finished, the serum was reacting badly to his body and he thought about all the chances he should have had to save Jessie, and if he'd woken up earlier he could have saved their daughter. The sickening thought rushing through his head was that if it had been a regular miscarriage, the chance of her living through it would have been almost guaranteed, as a seven-month-old foetus is more likely to survive through premature birthing than an eight-month-old, so all he could think about was the likelihood of her dying from the poison accumulating in her body. He wished he knew who could have done such a terrible deed, or when they could have slipped the fluids into her without either of them knowing.

                 Without a prior word of warning, the door suddenly opened and two guards harshly picked him up and dragged him out of the cell. James shut his eyes against the spinning world as the serum attacked his pitiful vision, and when he opened them he was in a room with a female standing before him in plain clothes. He struggled to hear what she was saying against the ringing in his ears, but he was able to catch most of it.

                 "My name is Special Agent Pryer; I'm with the Intelligence sector of this region. It seems that your story checks out, and that you did not attempt to kill your wife or unborn. However, we are unable to overlook your knowledge and experiences against the law over the past six years, so we are unable to allow you to roam around freely with such a threat to society building up in you, and you could be an even bigger threat after this morning's event. You have a choice; you can be treated as such a threat and escorted everywhere by armed police officers who are trained to shoot first, question corpses later, or you could wear an irremovable tag around your ankle for the rest of your life, where we can monitor you and act immediately if anything else of a suspect nature occurs, the sooner you reply equals the sooner you may return to the hospital"

                 He nodded mutely and signed the forms proving he'd consented to being wired even though he despised the thought of people listening to his life; he was still unaware of where the bug Tyra had planted on him was, but had learnt the art of not thinking about it too much, though now he wondered what sick pleasure she'd gain from hearing the goings on of the miscarriage. He winced in pain as the sides of the tag were pinched shut, a stray spark of electricity singing the skin caused him to remember the device Deryck had used to nearly destroy his voice but failed to kill him, causing more detested memories to enter his head. He knew that whatever way this contraption acted as a disturbance in his destiny, it didn't really matter as long as he was taken back to the hospital to be with his wife when she truly needed him. He demanded to be driven back as he didn't know which hospital it was as he hadn't bothered finding out in all the hours he was there as it was needless for him to retain worthless information like that, and surprisingly they complied with his request as he'd followed their orders and questions without causing too much hassle.

                 When he was back in the hospital at a time of morning where the city was beginning to spring to life, he was informed she'd reached a more stable condition and had been moved to a private room of her own, owing to the gravity of the matter, but if he promised not to disturb her he'd be allowed in the same room as her for a brief period. He sat beside her, watching her struggle for oxygen even though an oxygen mask rested on her mouth, watching how unbearably grey she appeared next to the crisp white linen, watching the lack of a swell on her abdomen. He was grateful the linen was there, otherwise he wouldn't have known what to do if he could see the bloodstains leading down her thighs, or if the gown was dislodged, the offending stitches that acted as a reminder she'd lost the baby. She'd visibly aged through the ordeal, and looked older beyond her years even though she looked only slightly older than her real age the night before, the strain of the horrendous situation obviously hadn't consulted her vanity before taking its vicious toll.

                 Meowth felt cold and jealous again as he watched his partners in each other's proximity, even though Jessie was still unconscious and there was no bodily contact going on between them; he wanted to be able to ease his misery by showing him he wouldn't be alone if she didn't make it, but that would only scare or enrage the male even more when he discovered his close existence. He felt his existence contemptible as he saw the extent to what his actions had reached, and how he'd slaughtered two humans, yet left them alive to suffer eternally without the premier fruit of their passions, left them with nothing pleasant for the moment. They failed to resemble anything of the bright young thieves he'd once known, ready to prove themselves to the world, but with minimum danger and a guarantee they'd have a blast whilst at it; all those nights they'd spent happy even when they had nothing entered his head, where they'd talked, danced, eaten or done whatever they'd wanted that was free and gave them fun. Those carefree teenagers were now forever lost, and that magical sparkle that made their friendship, and ultimately their relationship might never be reclaimed again because of him.

                 The hospital staff gave him a complimentary hot meal at two o' clock, and he wasn't going to eat it at all as he concentrated on watching his wife, but he decided to consume it when his stomach began to voice its loud complaints that he hadn't eaten in well over nineteen hours. He thanked the young trolley woman when she returned for the empty plate in an hour, and it was shortly afterwards he noted a slight change in Jessie; she twitched her hand involuntarily and he immediately hit the panic button beside the bed to alert the doctors of her condition whenever they appeared. He was escorted out of the room but requested he be the one to tell her what happened, but conceded that if she asked them, he'd feel no bitter resentment if they went against his wishes. They revealed they intended running a few tests on her now and advised he leave the building for twenty minutes or so to get some fresh air and to stretch his legs; since her condition was practically stable, there was no possibility of anything life-threatening occurring again for the moment due to the intense medical care she received. He nodded but wished to be told of even the remotest change in her condition, which the nurse agreed to doing.

                 His head felt clearer as he stepped into the air that wasn't a retch-inducing warm or stale from being recycled for hours on end; this helped to shake off the final traces of the truth serum that dogged his senses. His nose detected the faint but distinct fragrance of tobacco, and he suddenly craved a cigarette to loosen his tight nerves and crumble some of this pent-up tension—it was a method he used to use as a young teenager when he needed to momentarily escape from whatever nightmare he suffered. He had no desire to smoke anything other than a cigarette though; even when he'd been on drugs he'd never been able to slow down the blasts he'd received, especially the times he'd chosen to smoke cocaine rather than snort it. He felt in his pockets and found his wallet was located in one of them, so he headed to the shop in reception to bow to his cravings on this occasion, and he knew that he'd probably have the rest of the packet for months on end as he was not overly fond of the concept of smoking.

                 He exhaled deeply as he first lit the nicotine filled object, and he thought of Violet, since it used to be something they did together even though it was an infrequent pastime they shared. He'd met her shortly after Jessie had left him to study to be a nurse, when he was just getting into du Paor's more respected ranks as a mainly reliable minion, but she changed everything in him. He knew he loved Jessie, but when she wasn't around and this new girl was, he felt like his feelings for his best friend were little more than a strong infatuation with a mere crush. He stayed with her in Viridian City for almost two years, then when she announced she was going back to Cerulean City to become an official Gym leader, he made the rash decision of wanting to follow her to be together and made the move, even though it ran the risk of him dying if du Paor caught up with him. He'd started feeling guilty with the possibility of du Paor arriving and slaughtering Violet for her part in depriving him of an extremely loyal subordinate, so as they drew nearer their three year anniversary he knew he had to leave, in spite of him needing to sacrifice his heart's feelings in the process.

                  The night he was about to explain the whole situation to her, along with his announcement of his future departure he intended never happened, as she did the worst thing his feelings could take—she asked him to marry her when they hit the legal age as they were together all the time anyway. He used it as an excuse and left her the next day, stunting her trust in men and their ability to commit to her as a result, and it was only today, a couple of years on she learnt part of the real reason why he left her after building her heart closer to his for two and a half years. It was another part of his life where he despised his cowardice and how inconsiderately he'd acted towards other people.

                   He stubbed out the cigarette when it hit the butt and swallowed a mint to destroy the evidence of it on his breath, feeling dirty at having to rely on something inhuman to make him feel better even though there was nothing illegal about what he used this time—it still acted as a reminder to how bad he used to be. He was allowed back into the room after ten minutes when the specialists had finished running their tests on her, and they warned him that she'd probably be disorientated when she finally did awake, but they admitted they had no idea what her health would be like as they'd never had a case such as hers in the history of the hospital. He knew a lot more about the drug than he'd told the police, and he was almost proud of himself for avoiding their truth serum by not lying but by not telling all he knew. He felt eyes on him, yet every time he turned around there was nobody behind him, or if there was they weren't facing his direction.

                   The breakthrough in her condition came as the clock neared the end of the evening, albeit a heart-breaking one. She murmured in her sleep 'Stop it Alyssandra' then eased her eyes open as the beating of her stomach became unbearable. She squinted to try stop the double vision from which she suffered and saw James looking at her with what appeared to be relief in his expression, which was the exact moment she realised she didn't recognise her surroundings and that she was in bed when it seemed to be late at night. She sat up, and this small process absorbed all the strength she'd built up in all the hours she'd been unconscious mercilessly. She outstretched her hand to James' and let him clasp it loosely; he'd somehow refrained from touching her as he'd sat with her in case it affected the needles in her veins, and he refused to run the risk of something worse happening for the sake of touching her skin.

                   "Shit, I always feel messed up when I wake from a dead sleep, so why am I feeling it now? What time is it and why am I here? Damn it; give me a break for two minutes Alyssandra"

                   "Jessica, there's something you need to know, and I am getting no satisfaction out of telling you this in case for some reason you think I am"

                   "Not the full name, it must be serious!"

                   "Jess, this isn't a time for jokes. You've lost her"

                   "Lost who?"  
                   "Our daughter Jess, that's who; our lovely little Alyssandra. There was nothing they could have done to save her"

                   "What sort of sick joke is this you're trying to pull off? I can feel her kicking as usual, so go creep out someone else James. Are you telling me you don't want to raise her, and that's why you're telling me this cruel crap?"

                   His eyes were long misted over with tears by the time he'd told her, which helped her realise it was probably true. As he explained she'd been operated on and it was probably just the affected tissue throbbing because it was so tender, she glanced down and saw her stomach swollen, but not to the extent it had been when her memories were clear. Flashes of the ambulance ride stormed through her head and she realised with horror that every word he said to her was true, and she felt something close to a lightning strike attacking her body as the terrible truth swarmed her, blaming her for not being a good enough mother which is why her body rejected the baby on her behalf. Then the tears started as she crumbled away from a human state, weaker than the baby she should have had in a couple of months and unable to cope with the malicious and entirely unforeseen twist in her providence. He squeezed her hand gently and kissed it to show he cared and felt just as upset and fraught as she was, though most of his lifetime's supply of tears had been used that morning, on many occasions.

                   "Started up on cigarettes again?"  
                   "Sorry, I needed something to calm myself down with, though it didn't help at all. How did you guess?"

                   "My nose is still functioning correctly so I can smell the smoke on your clothes, plus there's usually only your wallet in your pocket, which begs the question what lies in the other"

                   "You should have worked for the law, not against it for those years. You'd make a great detective"

                   "That's not true, if I'd detected this sooner then we'd never have lost her, would we?"

                   He dropped out of the conversation and remembered his constant blaming of himself all day and the night before, and realised she was doing the same to herself, but probably at a greater pace to catch up with him. He kissed her forehead and promised he'd return as the medics rushed over to check on her condition, and he decided they'd need a good bit of time to ensure her safety, and that it'd go faster if he wasn't under their feet. A doctor caught his wrist to get his attention before asking him if he wished to use one of the hospital's phones instead of coin phones in case he didn't have change, and James dejectedly informed him that there was nobody else he could inform of the situation as he wasn't on talking terms with his parents and hers were dead. He controlled himself against wanting to ring his aunt as she'd probably want to be there, then he'd have to explain why he was so close to her to Jessie in case she got jealous or hurt, and divulging even more information about his near-incestuous relationship was not something he wanted to do. Suddenly he thought about Elora, and he asked the doctor if it was okay if he could ring someone other than family. The answer he received was affirmative, so he was ushered into an office with the warning he was liable to be prosecuted if any of the patients' files were altered or removed.

                   He sat in the chair and dialled the number of what he thought was The Silver Bullet, though he wasn't overly sure if it was correct as he had seldom rung it whilst working there. He became more uncertain as it seemed to just ring out, even though he was positive it was open at that time; then he heard her voice as she answered it and it suddenly dawned on him how difficult it would be to talk about it without being able to see the other person's face. As he gave her a few pleasantries to begin with, needless as they were, he heard a tone in her voice that made it clear she was glad to hear from him. He also noticed the momentary pause and change in her voice when he said he'd married Jessie, which was nicer than her hanging up in a jealous rage with the news. He broke down again as he relived the details of watching their baby ebb out of Jessie's womb. He gathered a little comfort from the way he heard another change in her voice, only this one showed she was crying and was filled with sympathy for him, without any hint of her previous envious state. He found that however difficult it was for him to talk, from both his tears and the burnt insides of his throat, he felt better as he spoke to her about it—she was the only employer he'd never ended up resenting at one point or another, but then again she'd always treated him well as he'd never given her reason for complaint.

                   It took him almost five minutes to talk her out of her visit to the hospital she was determined to go on; it would have been a nice gesture but it was too far away for her to travel to and Jessie might not appreciate anybody else around for fear they viewed her as a freak in a carnival show that was unable to go through the simple procedure of childbirth without messing it up. He didn't think that of her for one second, but the way he saw it was that it's too easy to hurt a woman's feelings, and this moment was too tender for her to run the potential risk of making her depression worse. He prayed silently that it wasn't bad enough to make her contemplate suicide, because then he'd have no choice but to follow suit as he'd have nothing left to live for in life. He politely excused himself from the call, saying that he wanted to get back to his wife to see if she was finished her tests but with the vow to ring her again if anything changed or if he needed to talk to her again, and she revealed how glad she was that he'd confided in her as a problem shared is a problem halved.

                    He placed the handset back, and spent a moment thinking about how vastly different his life was now as it was when he was in Team Rocket; he then reached the conclusion he should never have asked Jessie out, or left it a week when she wouldn't have been ovulating and liable to get pregnant the night they did it. He stood up and stretched to pop a few vertebrae in his back to ease the stiffness created from sitting in the same uncomfortable chair all day, but it caused a spark to be emitted from the new tag adorning his leg, making him curse and growl in disgust from feeling like a caged pokémon without any chances of being released to the wild to experience a true meaning of living. He accidentally hit something with his elbow and he immediately turned to see what it was, and he saw he'd moved some papers from the top of the box. Curiosity overwhelmed him when he saw it was a patient with the same surname he had and he peered into it, immediately wished he hadn't from the view of what met his eyes.

                   Why did I do it, why did I subject myself to something actually worse than what the circumstances had been like before? This is an unforgivable crime, I can't believe my memories of today have been tainted and made me hate this even more, which is something I didn't think possible. I can't tell Jessie, there's no way I can do that, but how can I go through knowing this on my own? It must have been a set up right from the start; I've never heard of a generous doctor offering the use of a private room for a phone call, so he must have know it would happen, otherwise he would have given me a different office to use. Just let us out of this inhuman prison please, they're not trying to cure us, they're trying to kill us through misery and close the walls completely. Seeing Giovanni about to sleep with Jessie and taunting me with it was a far more enjoyable sight than this; in fact I nearly wish I'd seen him raping her that night, making her bleed all over the place even though she'd stopped bleeding during sex after our fourth time together, just so I could say I'd rather watch that than what I saw today. If these doctors are on our side, I'd hate to meet our enemies.

                                                                                                         ***

                    He jolted backwards and knocked into a desk when he saw it; his eyes wanted to be removed from his head at the sight in front of him, and he had an immediate flashback to how he'd reacted when he'd found Weezing. He couldn't draw his eyes away from the sight—it was so haunting it was impossible to look away even though he wanted nothing more than to do just that and run out of there as quickly as possible. In the box was a bell jar, containing the foetus Jessie had lost, labelled as 'vaginal waste induced by illegal substances, LCX 7309', and he could make out every feature in her small but fully formed face even though it was coated in thin blackish blood as it was thickly clotting, but the jar was airtight so it couldn't dry. Her right hand was balled in a loose fist and her other was outstretched, making the small corpse look eerie in death as it looked like she was trying to catch hold of the walls of Jessie's womb, almost as if she knew when she swam out in the choking fluid she'd asphyxiate on blood, amniotic fluid and oxygen. He was frozen solid to the spot with terror at being unable to stop staring at his dead daughter—he wasn't even blinking—and he found himself involuntarily drawn towards her eyes, open but he was unable to determine what colour they would have been, though they looked a shade of aqua green to him, a pleasurable culmination of those of her parents. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, and around the blood he could see a faint show of white in her gums, which meant she was going to be born with teeth, and her teething problem would probably be the reason behind her kicking Jessie's insides to a pulp in recent times. It was the first and only time he was grateful his vision wasn't pure, since he was able to pick out such aspects with astounding clarity with the poor vision he maintained, he shuddered to think how crystal clear it would be if he had his former acute sense returned to him.

                    He felt bile return to his mouth at the sight of her, and no matter how much he wanted to do it, he couldn't bring himself to scream or make any noise to alert somebody of his present situation. It was like a cruel jest, making a distraught man suffer seeing his deceased daughter in a position depicting pure terror in a jar, making her look as unloved and needless as a jar of pickled onions. The more he saw her, the more he wished he had never slept with Jessie, even though it would mean he'd still be unhappy and forever thinking what it would be like to kiss her—sex had been enjoyable but now he hated it, hated it giving them something so lovely then smashing that dream in an instant. His knuckles popped in his clenched fists yet he still couldn't bring himself to move, still drawn to watching the grotesque imagery in front of his eyes, his mind playing illusions of her moving her thumb slightly, but only so slightly he registered and sensed a movement but when his eyes were locked on target he detected nothing.

                    The door opened and the generous doctor stepped in, then suddenly he went immobile when he comprehended the situation he'd created and not understanding to what level of terror it would have on the former father-to-be. He returned the jar to the box and sealed it wordlessly, still trying to think of a perfect sentence that would remove the blame from his name and make the other room's visitor break out of the apparent horrific state of being and that sentence eluded him, if it did indeed exist at all. He couldn't even think of any words that could snap the other male out of his trance, staring frantically at where he'd seen her, in spite of her being completely hidden from sight due to the heavy duty cardboard creating her tomb. He picked the box up and placed it on what seemed like a semi-raised panel above the desk, and before James could properly see what happened, the doctor had pressed something and it slid down a chute on its own and out of the room. James immediately shot into action and raced to where the box had disappeared, asking where it had gone and when she'd be back.

                    "I'm sorry sir but that item won't be returning here, as it summons professionals to work on it, yet nobody in this hospital wants to risk messing it up by making even a minor slip-up on it, so it's been sent away for people with the right skill to perform their duties"

                    "My child is not an it" As the words departed from his mouth, he fully recalled the time where Jessie had demanded sex and he wouldn't comply with her wishes—had it really been less than two weeks ago?

                    "My humblest apologies sir, but although you may see the effluent matter as possessing a gender, it is better not to name the children as three have been too many incidences in the past where students have cried upon seeing a name written on a jar the same as someone they knew, and then the whole procedure is wasted. A terrible shame it is when that happens"

                    "Don't you dare refer to my baby as sewage, you're the demented bastard that set this whole thing up anyway, and why did you call her by an experiment number when giving her true name on the glass would make collecting her foetus a little easier for my wife and me, rather than considering this as a sick laboratory test?"

                    "First of all alter your manner when you're addressing a person known as one of the best in the medical profession, and secondly I don't think you understand what's happening, junkie; you're not getting that useless matter returned to you, ever. So tell that to your wife if you want, because that was a fine specimen for showing kids why drugs are wrong. Did you get a good look at her? Keep that thought in your head for the rest of your life"

                    James didn't know what happened for a few seconds; all he felt was a strong stinging in his hand and a squawk from the other person, barely realising he'd hit the doctor. Part of him wanted to immediately apologise for his actions but the rest of him told him to kill the man for insulting his daughter (the comment referring to him as a drug abuser was nothing new and it slipped by without a second of offending him). It took a lot of gritting his teeth and thinking prison would mean Jessie being utterly alone to stop the latter from coming true, as he was sorely tempted to go through with it to vent his anger. He walked out of the room with more whirring thoughts in his head than when he'd gone in there. Unaware Meowth had heard the whole thing.

                    Jessie tried moving up in the bed when the tests were done, feeling electrifying stabs of torture in her womb in each second of it, then the unbearable throbbing commenced when she conceded defeat to the pain. Angry salted capsules slid freely down her face from both heartache and extreme discomfort, making her question what was so wrong with her life and what number of countless serious crimes she must have committed in past lives to deserve such seemingly endless suffering of losing her first child and her husband keeping on abandoning her in times like this. She knew it was not a nightmare from which she could awaken and still carry Alyssandra, but she was hoping that the cruelty would cease with a nurse bringing her baby in, wrapped up in fleecy blankets with an apology that there had been a mix up, but they'd told her she was dead when really they were cleaning her up and ensuring she was fine. She suppurated bitterly as she knew she'd never hold or love her daughter as a mother should, forever in wonder how she'd have grown up and who she resembled more, both in physical appearance and attitude.

                    Telling Jessie they were unable to cremate their child was the hardest thing James had ever had to do; losing her so suddenly was one thing, but for the option of them being able to officially say goodbye to them to be stripped away completely was soul-shatteringly difficult, yet only one of them knew the reason why. It appeared the world took everything from them to learn of their ultimate breaking points, and as that horrendous day wore into the night, they slipped further from the determined strength their adrenalin had concocted and decided their respective partners could carry on fine should they proceed to take their own lives to be with their daughter. The sedatives they received from the medicine trolley made little difference to their states of being, other than draining them mercilessly of what little strength they possessed, and their dreams were more horrific than ever before, chaotic tides of blood invading both heads and sweeping each with the drowning gurgles of a baby. The only thing the medicine did was stop them waking up from their terrifying nightmares, which became more terrifying and blood-lusting as the night wore on, endlessly it seemed.

                    Unknown and unseen to everyone that night, Meowth stole into the storeroom where the foetus was being held until the morning, where it would be transported to a place with a wider range of state-of-the-art machines to carry out the tests perfectly. He picked up the bell jar and sprinted out of there, as he wanted her to stay in one piece and not allow them to defile the innocent baby's body when she'd hardly sampled life. He ran in the city, searching for somewhere secluded to reduce the risk of someone seeing him, or worse, him tripping over something and dropping it, making the fragile glass scatter everywhere. He found a park and pawed a deep hole in some bushes in an almost lightless area in it, so when someone noted the top layer of soil as disturbed, they' have to dig for quite some time before they could defile her. He tore away the experiment coding written on it and embedded the thick glass with her full name by using his claws, regardless of the pain he endured or the loud noise it made. He carefully laid her to rest and left a flower on the top to signify her departure of the world would be remembered by more than just two people, and that her memory would be ever-living in their hearts.


	15. 3rd April, 2001

                                                 Tuesday, April 3rd 2001

          _She walked down a long, bright corridor, wondering why she got there, and how she could get out. Suddenly an explosion shook the very foundations of the building, forcing her into the walls in a violent jolt, making her cry out in pain. The lights began to dim as a result of the quake, filling her with panic as the end of the passage was in the distance, bearing the only exit from that area; the way she came led further into the building and she needed to escape before the edifice crumbled in on her. She ran as fast as she could, limping heavily from the collision with the wall, then she screamed for help with as much force as she could exert when the lighting cut completely. Liquid flowed all over her, undoubtedly from a burst pipe or something, making her flimsy clothing stick to her like batter to a hob. Her screaming wasn't attracting any aid whatsoever, so she stood up and stumbled in the direction she thought the way out was located in._

_          The water was now about knee-deep, making the wading a more strenuous process than before, so she screamed one final time, hearing the sound rebound off all the walls like some sort of sinister boomerang. She groped out in front of her for the handle that wasn't anywhere near her as the water closed in on her neck, then her reply came; babies' screams filled the dark hallways, only instead of dying down when they'd reached the end of their duration, they increased in depth and pitch, and when she sank under the water, the sound was more blood-curdling and plentiful than before…_

          Jessie awoke as her dream-being drowned, covered in a thick layer of sweat and she was blind from the tears streaming heavily down her tired face. She was a wreck to look at as she opened her stinging eyes, and she was the pure image of physical exhaustion when she tried to sit up. Her eyes were burning from crying so hard the night before, and as a direct result of this she wanted to keep them shut to cease the irritation it caused her. Her sobbing woke her husband, who instantly touched her hand to show he was there for her, wordlessly asking her if she was alright, and whether or not there was anything he could do to help. His dreams had also been invaded by similar torments but this was of the jar, his baby's glass prison, both feeling the terrible aftermath of the nightmares following their own nightmare. She felt her husband slide his fingers around her wrist whilst verbally asking how she was feeling, and greatly to her surprise, she felt both relieved and nauseated by this show of affection from him, regardless of the fact that she was still fully concealed with hospital wear and under blankets. She shook her head and wept her heart out again, still unable to cope with the agonizing grief of losing their first child, especially when she was so close to giving birth to her.

          She'd been seven months to the exact date, and if she'd have been granted with a few more hours of life she'd have died at the same time in the morning when she'd been conceived. Jessie was finding it impossible to cope with the pain from where the doctors had torn her baby from her womb when her death was certain; the throbbing that ensued after a batch of abominable pain was crippling her, made worse whenever she touched herself to relieve it. She felt eternally grateful she hadn't walked out on James upon learning a few nasty truths as it meant she wasn't going through this fiendish trauma in solitude, even though if she had, he'd forever think their child was alive when she wasn't. He hadn't kissed her on the lips, always only her hands or forehead, and she felt like it was her fault he was afraid to commit as fully as he used to. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he just felt like if he did, he'd be acting like this wasn't affecting him, when really it tore him apart time and time again when he visualised Alyssandra in the jar, helpless right to the very end.

      "Bring her back James, I want her so much"

      "I wish I could, you have no idea how badly I'm dealing with this"

      "You didn't feel her kick or carry her around for seven months. She was all I had for six months; I couldn't have gone on without her giving me such an important reason to stay alive for, now s-she's gone"

      "You're not on your own now Jess, I'm here to protect you, and if I ever catch the bastard who did this--"

      "Did what? James what are you saying?"

      "Oh gods they didn't tell you? This wasn't a miscarriage, someone filled you with so much poison and nebulous thyroproxine you nearly needed a hysterectomy. Someone set out to ruin our lives, and I must say they did a very good job of it"

      "Someone murdered our baby? And the hospital failed to mention it to me? Are you sure this isn't something out of a nightmare you dreamt last night?"

      "Positive, they took me to a prison and interrogated me because they thought I'd done it. I'm being made wear this tag too, until death do us part"

      "Why didn't you say anything sooner? Are they legally allowed to do that?"

      "Don't know; I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible to be with you, in case the worst should have happened. Nobody told me of your condition until I got back, so I'm glad I wasn't detained for longer even if it means giving up my freedom for the rest of my life"

      She became lost in a happy memory of when they'd both—to an extent—been young, joyous teenagers who had never faced any particularly great hardships. She still found it hard to believe that the guy who left his inheritance for her had been a drug abuser for a couple of years. If asked, they would both have readily admitted Alyssandra was unplanned (neither liked referring to her as an accident) but they'd both wanted to raise her and had really warmed to the thought their first child was linked to their first time. Now Jessie was willing to do anything to have her back in her womb, safe from the world for another couple of months, then she'd protect her for all the years of her life to make sure she steered clear from the mistakes her parents had made. What disturbed her most was she was willing to sacrifice her relationship with James if she could have her back, as it was his fault from hiding too much from her for too long—would she have loved him if she'd had as much knowledge about him and his disturbingly dark past as she held now?

      The bright glare from a flashlight suddenly appeared in the room, aimed directly at the couple to see whether they winced or remained in slumber. When the result was obvious to the bearer, they snapped on the full lighting system, not caring about what effect the severe contrast would have on either of the humans' eyesight at this hour of the morning. The doctor picked James up rather roughly by his neck, asking him what the hell he thought he was playing at, and shook him severely when he didn't receive a coherent answer. James' phobia of people touching his neck kicked in at full force, his fears heightened by the fact he had yet to wear his glasses that morning, and he couldn't clearly see who his attacker was, though the voice sounded familiar to him.

      "What did you do with the hospital's property? You were supposed to take sedatives to keep you out until tomorrow afternoon, so why were you awake before I entered? Answer me scum"

      "First of all, my name isn't scum, and I haven't got the faintest idea what you mean"

      "You were the only member of the public body to know the location and plans for experiment number LCX 7309, therefore since none of the medical staff would interfere with its fate; it leaves you as the only other person to point the finger at"

      "As I've told you already I don't know what you mean, and whatever happened did not involve any action on my part at any stage, savvy?"  
      "How do you expect me to believe that when I saw what you were like earlier? Were you just going to let us go through with it?"

      "James what's he talking about?"

      "I swear I didn't do anything, so please let go of me and go back to wherever the hell you came from and let us be in peace"

      "Since when am I meant to believe the words from the mouth of a junkie? You probably traded it in for another fix"

      "I'm clean but you're obviously not. All the medication in here must have been too tempting for you, how else could you act as cruelly as you did? You put me in there deliberately, didn't you?"

      "Put you in where honey, prison?"

      "No, not that but thanks for giving me an idea Jess. If you go down to the police station, you'll find that they've been tracking me, and you'll be able to hear them verify I haven't moved, let alone gone near that hell room. Have you forgotten you sent it somewhere else while I was there, and I have no idea where that somewhere is, not that I'd want to?"

      "What room James? What went on earlier?"

      "It's okay Jess, you don't need to know. It's bad enough I do, so let me bear the horrific idea for both of us please"

      "Damn it we agreed not to hold information back from each other anymore, so be man enough to tell me, one of you"

      The doctor dropped James with as much consideration as he'd used to pick him up and exited with a couple of gruff remarks, leaving him to pick up the pieces created by the devastation of the bombshell he'd dropped on the frantic woman. It hurt him even more than when he'd told her someone had deliberately set out to do it, as she made him relive it over and over again to make sure he divulged every scrap of knowledge regarding the situation with her. Pale failed to describe what she'd looked like even after her transfusion replacing a portion of that which she'd lost in the miscarriage, and white sounded like a deep golden bronze compared to the colour she went as she learnt of her baby's grave. To both of them, abandoning her in a ditch showed more compassion than sticking her in a glass jar did, James especially thought it since he'd been unfortunate enough to witness it. Suddenly Jessie began crying uncontrollably, knocking back James' hand when he reached out to touch her in consolation, this further rejection making him feel even more like he should never have met her since he'd done nothing but wreck her life at one point or another.

      "Get away from me; you aren't the man I thought I'd lost my virginity to. You don't do anything except hurt me time and time again by bottling up instead of telling me the truth. You were doing it the day I met you and you're continuing to do it now"  
      "Jessie you're not in the most stable of conditions, I intended telling you the truth in a couple of months when you're stronger and less likely to break down as you are very prone to doing at the moment. I love you, and believe me when I say I don't want to hurt you"

      "Go away, just get out and come back later, if you absolutely have to. When you're not around I at least know I can trust my thoughts; they're not likely to hurt me"

      "But Jess--"

      "Get out now before I have the staff to make sure you can't come back in here, ever. Remember what six months apart was like, when I was in hospital and you didn't know what had happened? Try the rest of our lives James, because you're continuing to trot down that path with each second you stay here"

      He reluctantly left the room as he knew that in her present state of mind she was liable to go through with it, regardless of whether she really wanted to or not. Having his daughter immobile in a bell jar and being sent off to get chopped up and experimented on was one thing, but for someone to steal her and possibly do the same or worse was an even grislier thought. Even the scientists' macabre ideas were tolerable to an extent as it could stop other women from falling victim to the same suffering in the future if they were faced with the same nightmare, but to even think about a teenager slashing her open for fun made his blood run cold. His marriage hadn't even existed three whole days and he wasn't allowed to speak to his wife; it seemed to just slot in nicely with his history of screwing things up in his life.

      Later that morning…

      Lindsey felt the same pair of blue eyes staring at her as she worked at the coding. It was pretty much the same scenario as every day since the coding dilemma began—or rather since her twisted casual sex-based relationship sprang up that night—and she was getting fed up with the building tension in what could have been a caring boyfriend. Today did contain a difference to every other morning; she was actually working on the code since she'd reduced it to mere rubble from the grand castle it had initially been similar to. She admitted to herself that this code was far beyond anything she could encrypt files with, and it would be a valuable source to the company if she could utilise it for her own purposes. How had he done it so quickly and without going back over it to check each key he'd inputted had been correct? She'd never thought much of him as a worker, but now she knew why; he should have been in charge of computing, as that was where his skills really showed through. She doubted he'd have accepted the position if he'd been offered it, as there was no excuse for sleeping with someone else's partner, which is what Jessie would have been to a secretary. With his cross-dressing history, she suddenly found herself wondering what he'd look like in a black skirt and blouse, finding herself surprisingly pleased with the mental image she conjured, even though she'd never found him all that attractive. She felt quite partial to his personality though; he'd never hurt her with a vicious comment or tried to feel her up if he was told to wait like every other member did, regardless of their sex. Jessie had socked her one in the face on three separate occasions, but that was when she'd been on the most successful team at the time, deciding to be the complete opposite of her partner's pleasant attitude.

      Giovanni went over to the girl of both his dreams and nightmares, forcibly kissing her on her lips, not listening to her protests at the force he applied in the process. She put her hands on the keyboard accidentally as she stood up to fend him off, not even remotely in the mood for such behavioural problems at that hour of the day. Suddenly the computer released another loud beep, similar to the detonation of a bomb which made Giovanni leap a few feet backwards in fright as vivid memories of the explosion filled his head. The screen of the computer went a variety of colours with various boxes containing information flashed up, not lingering long enough for either of them to read more than a couple of words out of a paragraph. Then, the final breakthrough came; the programs open at the time of James' infiltration appeared, undamaged and without any glitch in the basic running of the system. She ran a few tests, then released a whoop of sheer delight at beating the most complex challenge she'd ever faced in an electronic object. Giovanni stood at her side again and kissed her passionately, as if it was his way of congratulating her since he used far more tender techniques than he had moments beforehand.

      This display of affection was more than enough for Anthony, who raced from his spot, smashed the barrel of his gun into Giovanni's skull before running out of the door, uninterrupted by any of the guards. The attack did little more than stun the older man for a second or two, yet it was still a point that he'd let his defences down for a moment and the worst had happened. It offered little help towards his already paranoid way of thinking. He didn't reveal his fear though every member there knew their necks were on the line for allowing such a needless accident to take place when it was their duty to make sure such occurrences failed to exist. He wisely chose to act like nothing had happened and directed his attention back to the now-usable computer, and commanded his sleeping partner to call up the information on how Jessie was getting on. She half-bitterly did it, knowing that no matter how he used her, he still lusted after one girl in particular. She skipped backwards since the camera was on James and there was no sign of her at all, and both of them were horrified when they heard James telling her she'd lost her baby. For the first time in his adult life, Giovanni cried and didn't care about the audience he had at such a weak moment; his angel had been deeply hurt and it wasn't even his doing this time. He grabbed Lindsey by the arm and told her to shut it down and transfer the programs to her laptop, reinstating all of the members to their regular duties until further notice. He forcibly slept with her in the back of the car with tinted windows blocking out their activities to the world, otherwise it would be visible to the world that it was more rape than anything else. It was time for him to pay Jessie a little visit.

      Meowth seethed furiously in the park where he'd buried the jar; how could anybody act as viciously as this? Tears of both panic and sorrow laced his eyes when he remembered the reason why she was capable of being stuffed into a container in the first place. He'd wanted to make them pay, but his hatred had blinded him to the extent he'd given her the wrong formula. Now he wanted more than ever to turn back time to let them have what they loved back, especially since part of James' dreams had included many verbal references to everything dear to him that he was no longer able to see, and his name had come up. Why had he allowed himself to act so viciously to this extent? How was he jealous of an unborn baby? His friends had never forgotten or wanted him gone, so why hadn't he simply gone over to them and helped them with the pregnancy instead of intentionally setting out to sabotage it? He resented his actions less than he resented his rebirth; he deserved to have died back when he'd saved his friends' life, not have fate cruelly alter his ways of thinking and acting like it had. He could have died a martyred hero, now not even a despicable villain came close to describing what he would be whenever he lost the ninth life.

      In Meowth's absence, Butch made the most of his time alone by not spending it alone; he spent the morning with what he thought was Cassidy, thinking that she was pleasing him far more than any previous sexual encounter he'd experienced that he chose to recall. He wasn't sure if it was because he'd thought he'd lost her and had science work its miracles and bring her back , or because she'd always been the forbidden fruit as far as he was concerned, not someone he could make a move on as they were partners. She laughed beautifully as they made love; he thought that was owing to her enjoying the experience as much as he did, and not aware that the ditto thought it would make the atmosphere extremely funny whenever its toy wasn't quite what it seemed. The whole process of the human way of reproducing was vile to it, as it lacked the honesty and elegance pokémon bore; this just seemed to be as casual and thoughtless as a comment on whether it was raining today or not. Butch found complete bliss whenever they slept together, making the creature giggle at the thought of what it would be like when he realised he supported bestiality.

      James returned to Jessie's room as it approached midday. It had killed him to stay away from her for so long when they were both in such fragile states, but he knew to go near her when she requested his absence would be as intelligent as to play with extremely high voltage electricity with no protection considered. She'd caused the six month rift and he didn't want to be the one responsible for disobeying her wishes and causing the rest of their lifetime apart. She was awake and silently watched her husband join her at her bedside, wordlessly thanking him for the astounding bouquet of her favourite flowers he arranged carefully on her bedside table. His eyes motioned equally soundless phrases; the communication would seem absurd to other people but they'd grown up together and were almost always in tune with each others' feelings. He touched her hand and massaged it with his hand until she retracted it and shook her head, with tears spilling out of their caverns due to the sudden, unexpected motion. He didn't sigh or scream; instead he raised his hands in defeat and left the room again, feeling that if he left her for a little longer, she may become more expressive or have an increased sense of toleration.

      He wandered the area and angrily thought about the terrible situations they faced, and how each challenge opposing them was steadily growing more horrific each time. His family was never going to happen; his first child was dead and his marriage was crumbling around him, and if he did make it out of this with a wife, how could he bring himself to have sex with her and create another child? He glowered at the thought of some bastard flooding his wife with enough nebulous thyroproxine to cause almost double homicide, and how they'd successfully done it right under his nose too. She'd hardly been left alone, so how could this have happened?

      It was really only when he'd taken the third pull off his cigarette that he became partially aware he'd resorted to nicotine to make him feel better. His mind partially begged for him to take something stronger; Jessie wouldn't mind all that much as it meant he'd really only catch up on the morphine she was continually being fed intravenously. He was a messed up kid at heart that had dabbled in too many things which caused trouble in his youth, now he was trying to repent for his sins and simply had grown up too fast, hence his childlike actions at times. As he neared the butt of his cigarette, the vein in his left elbow twitched involuntarily as it used to when he was about to inject something into it. He rolled back his sleeve and almost sentimentally looked at the discoloured patch, remembering all the times he'd eagerly polluted his body for an hour's enjoyment, or how he'd done it with tears in his eyes because he needed a brief escape from the hell in which he'd resided. Part of him now wished he'd died that night in the alleyway, if for no other reason than to obliterate the sorrow he'd induced on everyone around him, and how Jessie could have reapplied to other colleges, retaken tests and become the nurse she'd dreamt of becoming as an alternative to hanging around with him and ruining those imaginings. She could be happy with a man she loved, not someone she stayed with for a couple of weeks then argued with him for all she was worth. They hadn't even lasted three weeks as a couple during the first time round, and from the way things were going it looked as though history were set to repeat itself, both of the relationships' demises ultimately being his fault. He heard his name being called gently, and to sate his curiosity rather than to engage in a conversation, he turned around to see who sought his attention.

      Before him stood Violet contrasting him, looking better than when he'd last seen her, whereas he looked infinitely worse from lack of sleep and unendurable manic depression. He offered her a smile that bore as much sincerity as he could muster, self-consciously noting the way she mentally absorbed every detail of how he looked less lively than a decomposing corpse in a city sewer. She said there was a park nearby where they could sit and talk if he would grace her with his presence for a short while, almost surprised when he accepted her invitation. They hardly exchanged words as they walked the distance, one being far too engrossed in their thoughts and the other being considerate and not wishing to disturb them, even though their head buzzed with questions. Surprisingly, the latter was James.

      After the correct amount of waiting time, Jessie felt like she could allow James back in to see her, longing to have his company to soothe her as he always did when she faced difficult circumstances. It had struck her rather suddenly that he must be suffering almost what she was, even though she was the only one capable of offering some shelter to their unborn infant, and now she needed to apologise to her husband in case the unthinkable occurred and she lost him too. The merry chimes of a bell ringing to signify the arrival of the fourteenth hour momentarily vanquished the dull ticking of the grandfather clock down the hall, breaking the heavy, monotonous sound she'd heard for the last fifty nine minutes and fifty eight seconds. Then, after the two chimes, it resumed with as little excitement as it had before. A nurse entered the room to monitor her condition, and in a passing comment she said there was a man there who longed to see her, and had lingered in the area for a couple of hours. Jessie allowed herself a brief smile as she knew it to be her husband responding to her telepathic request, and said to send him in and to hold the medical staff off from entering the room until he'd left, regardless of the circumstances.

      She closed her eyes as she lay back against the pillow in her freshly sedated state, longing for dreamless sleep to replace her eternal nightmares that haunted her living hours as well as during the night. She felt her husband touch her cheek, but she was unable to feel most of the caress from the soporific pumping through her body. She felt lips cover her own and she decided to let James share a kiss with her, as it might help them both remember that not all was unsalvageable from this heartache. She felt his tongue slip into her mouth and she responded with the same passionate urge she received, feeling better as it went on; then she realised something as the kiss lengthened; James always moved his tongue in a certain pattern as he knew she enjoyed it, and this was an entirely different style. She opened her eyes and screamed even though the noise was hardly anything from both narcotics and the mouth of the monster above her: Giovanni.

      She shook her head in disbelief as he held his hand down on her mouth, eyes widened in terror when she realised the first time she'd committed herself to her husband in the last few days was not as it seemed, and instead made an action towards infidelity. His other hand wandered over the contours of her body for his own pleasure, glad the drugs had made her more pacified and made her practically immobile. She tried to bite him but all it came off as was a soft, wanton nibble which worked wonders for her aggressor's sexual needs. He pulled the covers back from her chin and touched her again, this time the only thing separating their skins was the thin layer of material that was her hospital gown. As his hand travelled further down her body, her pain increased as did her disgust, unable to get over the ultimate injustice of helplessly allowing herself to be defiled only a day after her baby's untimely exit.

      He grabbed the tube of her intravenous bag and told her that if he pinched it, it would create an air bubble that would kill her when it travelled through her bloodstream to cause a blockage at her heart. She nodded in terror because as much as she wanted to die to end her misery and be with her child, she couldn't leave James, especially when he'd left in a nasty argument. He didn't care about how frail she was; all he needed was sexual satisfaction from someone other than a harmless woman he was mortally afraid of, and if he hurt her in the process it would be nothing new and so be it. He hiked the fabric up above her waist and savoured the sight before standing up, pinioning her and entering her with force, just to watch her quiver as she wept in fear and humiliation. He sadistically thought to himself that at least this time, she wasn't about to be saved by James like she had been last year (he'd heard the argument on the laptop) nor would she forget it like she probably had done when he'd raped her fully. She didn't care about the danger of death as he came inside her and screamed at the height of her lungs for all she was worth; the semen had forced its way around inside her already-excruciatingly sore womb, and as he pushed himself in the whole way at that moment, something terrible happened to her to cause the screaming. The stitches burst.

      Once Violet's head was cleared, she engaged in a polite and trivial conversation with him, both pretending that their break-up hadn't been all that nasty, and pretending they'd met again on nicer terms. She was finding it hard to tell how he was feeling, so she felt awkward at not knowing something as vital as that when she knew what he'd been through. She light-heartedly apologised for not hanging around for him to say goodbye the morning before, and by saying this she noticed how he went from the chatting individual that had sat before her to a figure of stone, so she instantly knew that she'd said the completely wrong thing.

      "I'm sorry for not coming back. Trust me, I'm forever grateful for your assistance, but my place was with her, not you. Forgive me"

      "It's fine, I know what you faced and in case that was a possibility, I was hardly going to throw a temper tantrum because you were so distracted to be with her and forget about me"

      "We didn't just face it"

      "Sorry?"

      "She lost her, we got help too late"

      "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, why aren't you there with her now?"

      "We had a fight and she told me to give her some space. I don't want to disobey her and throw away everything. Not now"

      "How could you hold an argument, at this time?"

      "I accept responsibility for it, even though I only held back information to save her feelings"

      "What was the argument ab--?"

      "I'd really rather not go into details about it right now, it's hard enough to remember the event itself never mind discuss it. I want to hold her and tell her its not her fault, and that she didn't lose her baby but I can't do it, because no matter what I do I can never rewrite the past. I can't catch the bastard responsible and I can't wake up earlier, take her to hospital and save her. I can't do anything"

      She felt uncomfortable at witnessing his alteration into an abject creature, knowing it was something she'd said that caused the heart-tearing transformation. Of course she'd been bitter that it was someone else he'd married and got pregnant, but not to the extent where she'd want the other woman to suffer such an abominable experience. She wanted to massage his shoulders as she knew from their long-lasting relationship that it was a method of soothing him, yet she was afraid to display any show of affection as it could make her seem inconsiderate to his horror. She wasn't so insensitive that she'd make a move on him when he was so considerably weak, part of her not even able to stomach the idea of what his wife would have gone through.

      Unexpectedly, a pebble sailed through the air and came to a grinding halt as it collided with the earth, after a couple of physics-related bounces on the hard surface. The pair instinctively looked up and saw a bedraggled meowth standing on its hind legs, as if to boldly declare that it had been it that had been so cocky as to disrupt such a moment. Seeing it reminded Violet that it hadn't just been a woman her ex-boyfriend had attacked her Gym with; when she began to voice her epiphany, she noticed hatred burning mercilessly behind his eyes, as if his retinas received not light but evil. Without a second devoted to warning her of what he intended to do, he took off after the stubbly pokémon with the intent of killing his former friend. Violet decided not to follow him, as he was always the faster of the two and besides, she didn't want to get in his way when he was in a mood as foul as this. She sighed as she waited patiently on the bench for his return, feeling slightly dejected as she realised he was making a habit of departing without excusing himself or telling her when he'd return.

                                                         ***

      "What have you done with her?"

      "Keep quiet and I'll tell you"

      "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YOU VILE EXCUSE FOR A CREATURE?"

      James' cries of lunacy successfully absorbed people's attention but he didn't care; Meowth had used his feral instincts to save his life and had raced up a tall, thick and mainly branchless tree. It didn't take a fool to work out that his gentle-natured former friend would easily tear him limb from limb and manage to keep him alive to retrieve the knowledge then. Part of the guilty creature longed for him to do so in order to clear his conscience, fed up with its everlasting consumption of his thoughts and actions. He jolted out of his inner thoughts on what he'd done when a particularly violent shove from James nearly threw him out of the tree, vibrating from the force exerted. His stubbly coat bristled and he spat as his wilder counterparts often did when faced with a larger, more dangerous opponent where they stood little chance of winning such a battle unless their bravery accounted for something in the outcome. Part of him wondered if attracting James' attention so soon after the accident was as intelligent as it had first seemed in his head. But then again, if he was torn to shreds if he fell out of the tree, wouldn't it be a martyred ending by losing his life to make someone get over inconsiderable amounts of grief?

      "You hit the tree one more time and you'll never know where she is"

      James's fist wavered mid-air for a few moments, contemplating if he could knock the pokémon from the tree, get the information and kill it, and weighing the probability of all three turning out successfully, or at least more than partially in his favour. His fist lowered, in spite of how pathetic he felt at submitting himself to the will of the thing responsible for an innocent unborn child's demise. If looks could kill, Meowth's death would have been longer and more torturous than Jessie's heartbreaking and pointless labour.

      When he realised the danger was eliminated for the present, Meowth showed a sense of manners by stepping very carefully onto the branch below the one on which he'd rested. If James had struck the tree then, he would have undoubtedly fallen to the ground where fate would have begun round one in their battle. His stubble was still thicker and more vertical in nature than usual, but under the circumstances, neither of the former partners cared, if indeed they noticed it at all. He wasn't insulting in any way as he told the young man below him not to worry, and that she was in a safe place. He noticed the youth's fist shook with frustration, anger or depression (perhaps even an evil dosage of all three), his hands already swollen from striking the trunk so vigorously and so frequently. He lowered himself by one more branch before stopping and settling carefully, the tone he selected far from patronising or mocking in nature. In spite of what others may think, he gained no personal enjoyment from this matter whatsoever.

      "She's safe, but I'm not going to ransom her location with you; it will sound almost insane when you hear it, but it's for the best if you don't know where she is"

      "How the hell would it be for the best in any circumstances you demented fool? How can it not be when two parents are denied the opportunity to say goodbye formally?"

      "Because if you return to that hospital with her you'll be arrested, then who would be around to ensure Jessie didn't top herself? There's such a thing as post-natal depression you know, and that applies when the kid lives. Imagine the possibilities of what would happen now"

      James had no snide or angry remark to shoot back at hearing this, and although he still wanted to kill the pokémon, he ruefully admitted to himself that he had a valid, logical point. Losing Jessie was the last thing he needed, especially when he was refraining from killing himself for her. He'd only commit suicide if she died to sever his misery, and not because he believed in an afterlife where they'd be happy together without any threats haunting them like they did in their actual lives. He was not a religious man in the slightest and the latter was not a feasible likelihood in his mind. The trembling increased throughout his body as he suppressed the threatening tears. He would not allow himself to appear that weak in front of the murderer of his child, no matter how painful the words traded could be.

      "I did it when I learnt what would happen to her when the filthy scientists would lay their hands on her and could not permit it. A lifetime ago we were friends--"

      "But now we're enemies. You made her die in the first place. I have no proof but I believe it. There's malice in your eyes that was not there months ago. My vision's terrible, but I can still see the dwelling evil within, created from spite was it? I know you're working with Giovanni, Tyra told me all about your little resurrection. Had you come close to us we'd have been more than delighted to have you back in our company, ecstatic even. Both of us found it difficult to continue when you 'died', but please make no mistake in this matter. You come near us again and I promise with everything I cherish I will personally be the one to listen to your heart give out"

      "Perhaps that is so, but what would Jessie say? Let's do some equations. Jessie plus suicidal attitudes plus visualising her friends rip each other apart plus missing her kid equals what?"  
      But when the cat-type looked to the youth, he discovered an empty space on the fading yellow grass where the human had stood moments before. James hadn't heard most of the so-called maths problem, and had run away whilst ignoring the perfect chance for the destruction of his unborn's murderer with deft ease. He'd felt a shudder rippling through him and immediately raced towards the hospital; the last time he'd felt this was when he was in the restroom the morning before at the exact moment she'd lost their daughter. His place was with her, not in a petty squabble that could later be resolved. Little did he know that in a couple of days' time he'd wish he had killed the threat whilst it was but a bud, before he could call in his resources to completely destroy everything salvaged from his broken relationship with Jessie.

      Violet audibly groaned as she watched James run away with a look of panic on his face, knowing that she could possibly wait in the park for sixteen weeks and he would fail to revisit the spot to make his apologies. She couldn't bring herself to hating him, as she knew from their long relationship that he'd never intentionally hurt someone, especially someone he'd loved. But then again, he'd obviously hurt people along his path as a troubled teenager, judging from what little history of his she knew. This was coming from a young woman who once considered herself as the only person who knew everything about him, including his forced betrothal. He'd often joked with her that he'd signed a form that made him legally married to Jessie Belle fifteen days after her eighteenth birthday without the need for a future ceremony confirming it, so that on his wedding day he could just lock himself in his room. With a sigh of disappointment at her former boyfriend's departure, she rose and paced her way along the route back to her own room, deep in thought regarding what she could have had with him if she'd been given an ample opportunity.

      Words failed James as he stood like an icicle, even though he was sweating out of panic, looking at the empty bed where Jessie had been that morning, grey-faced at the news the doctors had just given him. Shock infiltrated his system and he immediately resumed blaming himself, feeling that if he'd been there he could have prevented it. The shiver he'd felt in the park had not been caused by a wind, just as he'd prayed it had been the case. He wished he was wrong more frequently than it was, just anything to turn back the clock and alter fate's cruel decision.


	16. 4th April, 2001

                                                 Wednesday, April 4th 2001

_          Jessie giggled uncontrollably as her lover laid her on the silk sheets, teasing her by gently brushing off her skin as he slid himself over her. Her senses were acute and her libido screamed for her partner to cease the pleasant torture, yet part of her wanted for him to keep it up, as the motions were driving her wild. James teased her further by undoing the buttons adorning the front of her attire with nothing other than his teeth, allowing his hands to add a tender pressure to her waist. He knew exactly what effects his actions had on her, and it was making it all the harder for him to refrain from tearing her clothes off and making passionate love with her then and there. He couldn't do that though; this time was all about her pleasure and not his, so he couldn't be even slightly rough with her in case it took some of the sparkle out of it for her. He kissed her with just enough of a hint of passion to make her crave for more whilst not with too little to make her wonder if he was unenthusiastic about the ordeal. When the clothing was no longer a barrier between the two amorous teenagers, he teased her by allowing his body to rest against hers, to share his body heat with her and to make the notion of him fusing their bodies together affect his now-fiancée's libido. When he could hold back no more, he delivered all the tricks he knew to please her more than once, whilst bearing the stamina to hold back to prevent him from ending her satisfaction prematurely…_

      James jolted awake, tears already in his eyes as he tried to rid his memory banks of one of the happiest nights of his life; in fact the only night of their engagement where they still were only familiar with each other's bodies and not their former boss or friend, or even their assassin. He knew he'd never know such a time with Jessie or indeed anyone else again. He'd returned to the hospital too late, and now she was gone. He'd spent the night in a small room in the same building where the calamity had begun two nights ago. He felt sorely tempted to slash his wrists open and put an end to this misery once and for all, but part of him was man enough to do it, but not man enough to destroy whichever chambermaid was destined to discover his cadaver. He couldn't end his life knowing he'd turn hers into a horrific one filled with endless months of counselling.

      Tears rolled freely down his face as he realised he'd had everything that night, the night he'd proposed to Jessie on her eighteenth birthday, and now he had nothing. Had he not slept with Tyra, she wouldn't have left him in the hospital, and the six month void wouldn't have occurred. She wouldn't have risked their child's life repeatedly and they'd have made it through together. But she had and now there was nothing for him. His wife had permanent custody of Alyssandra, a fact that numerous court cases could never alter because of fate's evil twisting of the knife. His relationship with her in total hadn't even lasted a month and a half when put together, never mind his marriage not even lasting half a week. They'd considered the name Sunset City to be one of an ideal place to begin their married life together with no stress, but never again could he bear to see a sunset again in his life; it was like the sun bled across the sky every night, staining the beautiful sky on its descent. Every night he'd remember seeing the blood ebb from his now-deceased wife's body, every night he'd be just as futile when it'd come to preventing the situation from arising. His life may not be finished, but it was certainly over.

      The ditto had acted very cleverly in transforming Butch from Meowth's slave to its own, and it required minimal effort. He'd returned late in the evening before in a foul mood, refused to disclose reasons to explain his distaste and lashed out at the mutinous pair; if he was unable to evoke order in his company, how could he succeed in anything in life? He'd separated Butch for the moment and confronted the rebellious pokémon on why it was behaving like that, and it replied he was no better than Giovanni was with regards his attitude towards it. It may have been given a certain degree of respect, but there was a giant portion of freedom not in the deal. The cat-type was pestered and provoked repeatedly until it scratched out at it, and the plan had been completed. It transformed back into Cassidy and cried out in a pained voice, heralding Butch's rapid exit into the room. Even though it could repair its wounds in an instant, the pokémon decided against it and allowed the three claw marks across its nose to do all the work. Butch was now completely loyal to only one 'person', and that was no longer Meowth. Being intelligent and cruel simultaneously seemed to open up advantages that made the ditto understand why Meowth had been so good at it until his heart was finally resuscitated a few nights back. With him returning to his former self at a gradual pace, the other pokémon knew that if anything was to take place, it was up to it and it alone. Which is why it had made a phone call that changed everything, but it was the only one to know about it. It would be amusing to see whose fate would bear the greatest adjustment with this major disruption in the finely detailed plan.

      Lindsey sat back in Giovanni's leather chair in his newly refurbished office, feeling she could easily adapt to possessing that position permanently. Then again, if she did that, she would be unable to leave the heels of her boots pressing into the lacquered desktop as she was doing at present, swinging the chair back slightly for optimum comfort with her ankles crossed. Not that she'd wanted to engage in activities of a carnal nature with her employer, he'd been unable to perform after screwing his former worker, judging by his pensive moods. He'd said very little and had spent the night without her.

      If she wasn't aware of his unexplainable phobia of herself, she may have worried for the security of her job or life, but seeing as she was, this was more fun for her than anything else. She didn't care for a second what state his mind could be in, and part of her really wished maliciously there was irreparable damage to it as payment for all the suffering he'd inflicted on her and other women alike. A quick glance to her wrist reminded her of a few short days ago when she'd been in love with Anthony, as opposed to a woman using her body to gain a better position in her work, and how Giovanni had stuck a broken bottle of whiskey into her body with deliberate force to ease his own frustration.

      Giovanni's beloved Persian watched her ominously from above its paws, an evil glint in its half-open eyes as if he knew the woman unintentionally caused a portion of its master's displeasure. The hackles on its neck were partially vertical, its inner voice telling it not to let the human know its feelings, as if it was an advantage for it to brood unhealthily like it was so doing. It would be so easy to take the human out; being Giovanni's personal pet, he had skills and attacks no other Persian in the world could possibly possess, from the scientific research run on it from it being a kitten. He could kill her now…but would that really help his master achieve inner peace again? There had been a definite change in his mood in the last month, resulting in little attention being devoted towards the cat-type. It was far from jealous; it was more a concern. The man was getting on, but wasn't it later in a human's life that their memory and actions altered as considerably as his had already? Perhaps it was the years of growing up and taking over a corporation dedicated to evil after assisting his own mother meet an unfortunate but not fatal 'accident' (she was in a coma, as she had been for almost two decades) that addled his brain. It closed its eyes, feeling that philosophy was not a subject worthy of disrupting the portion dedicated it to sleep in its daily regime.

      Giovanni stared at the heavily designed ceiling above his bed, feeling weak for the first time in his life. Jessie could be dead from what he'd done to her, and this was the only case where he felt guilt at the prospect of ending someone's life prematurely. He hadn't slept a wink all night, and it had nothing to do with the fact he hadn't wasted his energy with pleasurable female company. The ticking of a clock in the corner of his room was synchronised with the panicking thoughts swarming round his head, and every ten minutes heralded a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his face. He'd failed to remove her blood from his member, feeling as though this could be the only thing of hers he'd have to cherish her memory. She had still failed to be as good in bed as he'd imagined, and part of him wanted to know more than anything what it felt like to have requited love instead of the constant fear-filled looks his women gave him. If only she'd love him, or hate him less, whichever was more likely…maybe she'd improve, as she wouldn't be as tight with nerves as opposed to if she was relaxed and eagerly awaiting penetration. What did that disgrace have that made her marry him and father her children? Well, he only assumed children because he didn't know how far gone she'd been, and her bump had looked fairly large…then a chilling thought struck him. Was it his baby, from the time he'd raped her seven months ago? If she had been carrying one kid, the size would have been just about right. Then a more chilling thought struck him. If that was the case, did he destroy the memory of the only child he'd successfully sired by having sex with her the day after the miscarriage? The sweat drops appeared at more frequent intervals now. Just like the pangs of terror and guilt from his conscience did.

      Anthony sat on his bed cross-legged, unable to move them from that position as he'd been in that position all night, and just like his former employer he'd spent all the night with his eyes open and his mind churning at several different possibilities. Four large bottles of highly potent spirits lay on their sides on the blanket, their lids nowhere in sight. There was nothing to worry about this however, as he'd drained each of them of every drop they possessed. He'd have drunk more if there'd been any readily available, but he rarely drank spirits at all when he was at home unless he was entertaining guests and had nothing else in the house with any percentage of alcohol in it. Perhaps the orange juice in the refrigerator did; it had been untouched since Christmas as it had an odd scent about it, but not odd enough a taste for it to be thrown away.

      Part of him truly regretted leaving Team Rocket, not because he loved his job as a security guard, but because now he wondered constantly what Lindsey was doing, and where she was to the extent of psychotic paranoia on his part. He should have murdered Giovanni on his way out, especially now as he thought about it; aside from being the only man in his desire's life, it would mean that Giovanni wouldn't have been given the chance to inform special agents to hunt him out and to silence him in his own apartment. He wished he knew when the order would catch up with him, so he could prepare his death properly and he'd leave with some knowledge of the end as opposed to a quick assassination in the night. It was part of the reason for him pulling off the all-nighter; he honestly believed he'd never be so fortunate as to see another morning sunrise. Of course, he may have wasted that dream as well as he'd drunk himself into a stupor before opening the curtains to view the said occurrence and missed the event altogether. He'd missed the dawn chorus, not because he'd had a radio or television on, but because he'd sung raucously to himself to eliminate the ringing in his head, incidentally caused by an earlier version of his singing. He wanted to move but feared what state his legs would be in, as they'd turned sore then numb several hours earlier. He also feared what the wet patch residing in the crotch of his guard's uniform would transpire to be. He jumped and his knees suffered greatly from the jolt when the phone rang. Who could it be? His legs were too dead to move and he flailed comically on the bed as he tried to move, yet was still firmly immobile. The ringing ceased, but then fortunately for the frustrated male the answering machine began to play, requesting the caller leave a message.

_      "Hey, this is Anthony. I'm either having fun or at work, leave a message and I'll call you back. Leave your number if you're female and I'll reply even quicker…"_

      He waited with baited breath as the high-pitched beep rang shrilly from the answering machine, and he wondered who it could be, his curiosity increasing tenfold by each passing second. Then his heart stopped; he knew that voice. He knew it **very** well indeed, having fallen in love with it long ago.

_      "Oh my gods you loser, what sort of a recording is that? Who'd want to have fun in any sense with you? This is just to remind you you're late. Show up and your ass is going to get kicked. Fail to show up and I'll hunt you out and do it myself, I've been there in the past, unfortunately; believe me when I say this is no idle threat. You had no right or authority to hit Giovanni over the head with the gun, and you've really crossed the line too far with this. Until you did that I cared about saving your feelings from being hurt…now I want you to rot away in what ever furnace after-life you're about to join. Love you Ant, about as much as I love scraping road kill from my wheels with my tongue"_

      Anthony threw an empty bottle in the general direction of the telephone, sending it into smithereens as it collided with a piece of antiquated and very expensive furniture of his landlord's possession. Tears laced his eyes thickly as he realised the cruel mutterings from the woman whose faithfulness he yearned. She and her love rattata would pay dearly for that. If only he could stand up and exact his revenge…

      As is the case with most departures, James remembered only the times where he'd screwed up her life. It was becoming almost unbearable as he twirled his wedding ring around his finger, remembering how he'd ruined their wedding day, and subsequently their honeymoon. How he'd destroyed their relationship before it had properly begun through infidelity. How he'd molested her when she nearly prostituted her body to save his life. How he'd betrayed her again by sleeping with Tyra days after learning he was about to become a father. How he ruined the last few days of her life by desecrating their daughter's memory by hiding information from her. How he'd had a shudder running along his back as he'd left her yesterday when he heard her screaming she wanted her baby back from down the corridor where he stood, and not returned to comfort her, even though there was nothing he could do or say to make it happen, and to talk to her would have been defying her exact orders. He needed to hold her again, to tell her how sorry he was, to beg for her forgiveness…

      Impossible; how can he tell a dead person how he felt, especially when he wasn't allowed near her body while scientists were running post-mortem tests on her? And since he was almost certain she believed in an afterlife, would there be any point? It would be like talking to a dead skin that an arbok had shed and expecting it to understand and listen to him. Her spirit had never been restrained in life, so to expect her to hold back instead of moving on to whatever lay before her was nothing more than a childish dream. He really hated himself for being so considerate of other people's feelings; if it weren't for the hotel staff, he'd slice his wrists to pieces with the razorblade he toyed with in his hand. He also wished he'd learnt if his wife believed in life after death, because he seemed to recall someone once told him that suicides never went to the same place as someone who died naturally, murder or anything where their death was not their own choice. If he killed himself now, would that condemn him to an eternity where he'd be guaranteed never to see her again? He squeezed his fists in frustration and cursed as the metal stuck into his skin, his fingers bled, but not as much as his heart did as it died from heartache.

      Sunset City Hospital, 09:57 hrs…

      "I'm serious, I can't find her anywhere. Have you moved her?"  
      "No, I went to check on her after the transfusion but she was nowhere in sight. I've asked security to follow her on the footage from the cameras, but you know how long that'll take before they get back to me. How could she bear the strength to even move when she was so close to not being alive?"

      "Beats me, which makes me think she's hiding somewhere, probably thinking about her kid. I couldn't admit we were unable to locate her but I just told him we'd lost her to make him assume she'd died. I told him we'd need her body to analyse for a couple of days, I figured it would buy us more time until he gets lawyers breathing down our necks. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid, he seems the type that wouldn't but with this on his hands? Two losses in as many days, it can't be easy"

      "Especially when one of those wasn't true, how could you be so thoughtless?"

      "I just thought about my own back first, then the hospital's, then decided this lie would save both of them. The couple were out-of-towners anyway, judging from their accents, so I doubt he'd stick around too long"

      "This is all blood on your hands Lou, not mine or any of the other doctors'. You're a sick head-case to come up with something that twisted to tell a grieving father. You really nauseate me"

      Viridian City, 11:47 hrs…

      The rain poured heavily down like the heavens were bursting, with a bitter wind that was sharp enough to sting any foolish person wandering the streets in conditions like this but not strong enough to blow the bothersome clouds away. It was typical gloomy, ice-cold precipitation, as was to be expected for early April weather, but this day seemed harsher and crueller than any other day for one person in particular. Of course, they believed this for a lot more reasons than just having to endure lousy weather. Someone had gone to great lengths to ensure their nightmare was real, and it was on a continuous loop to last for quite some time.

      Jessie had no idea how she'd arrived there when she came to, part of her paralytic with fear when she first thought the last few days had been nothing but a dream, that she'd never reunited herself with James or lost her baby. She lost those thoughts when she struggled to stand up; the unbearable pain in her abdomen sliced her open and she fell back down, hitting her head off the brick wall behind her. Pain struck up across her chest, which shocked her since there was nothing in her memory banks where she could recall a reason for it. It felt like a smarting nip in the general area of her torso, but she was much too weak from the attempt to get up to investigate the source for her discontent. She'd kept her eyes closed against the merciless pellets of water, but keeping her head back in this position made her feel breathless as she gasped for air so she sat up properly, ignoring the deep puddle she was in even though it was halfway over her knees when they were flat against the surface. Her breathing stopped as a cold panic hit her, far worse than the weather did to her. It was far worse than anything of the last week that had confronted her as she finally made a terrible realisation.

      She was sitting against a wall; not just any wall but the brick one where she spent most of her pregnancy watching certain people use her body to keep them partially satisfied until she could find a way to fix whatever dilemma she'd stuck herself in at the time. She was wearing the same long overcoat that she'd worn the night she'd made eye-contact with James in the pub—was that really only fifteen days ago?—but this time there was no swell for her to hide, other than the elasticised skin that had sheltered her unborn which would remain with her for at least another six months. There was nobody in the entrance to the very alley James had slept rough in other than herself, making her feel even more suspicious. If someone had gone to all this trouble to get her away from Sunset City, near enough on the opposite side of the country, why had they abandoned her as soon as they'd put her in her old clothes? Surely they wanted their handiwork known? But then again, she had no idea what day of the week it was; she could have been out cold for a few days, especially after the heavy surgery she underwent to repair the damage for which Giovanni was responsible.

      She decided to check her pockets to see if there was any sort of clue to who moved her whilst she allowed the ringing to subside in her head. There was absolutely nothing in them, except in one of them there was a sticky substance that felt and smelt a lot like drying semen to her. It most certainly had not been there the last time she'd worn it. It was when she wiped her hand on the lapel that her torso reminded her it was injured and protested in the form of smarting even more. She undid the coat halfway without so much as glancing down, then when she felt courageous enough she looked at it, realising only now that she wasn't wearing anything else, not even footwear never mind her hospital gown. Emblazoned across her breasts was the message 'Beauty never lasts, it dies like you will soon', and from the varying thickness of the mainly dry blood it seemed to have been etched in with a knife of some description. Someone obviously wanted her to see this otherwise they would have killed her first. They could be on their way to do it right now…

      She ran. She'd never sprinted so fast even though she could barely breathe, her head was ringing, her vision was blackening, her stomach was about to split open again and her feet were numb with the icy water. She ignored glass and other objects she stood on, and proceeded to splash her way through the inch of water with the wind savagely attacking her wounds and her wet skin as she raced into it rather than with it. She would have been faster running through the forest but there were more risks of her being seen by her captors there. It was only when she exited the last of the worst areas of the city that she thought about where she would head to. She couldn't pause to think in case someone was already aware of her absence, but she allowed herself a hollow smile when she recognised the building opposite her; _The Silver Bullet_, the pub where James had worked as a barman. Her heart sank when she read the notice on the window.

      **The management expresses deepest regret at the premises being closed this coming Wednesday, the fourth of April until ****six pm****, as a mark of respect for the recent and sudden death of the landlady's father.**

      She fearfully glanced over her shoulder to see if anybody was approaching her, and minor relief came to her when she saw she was alone, except for the traffic. Plus there was the fact that she hadn't been out cold for more than a day at most. The relief vanished and her heart stopped when she considered the possibility that they may not be tracking her on foot. Even if they were, she needed as much a gap between them as she could create, as her numb feet were bleeding into the water, making an easy route for her pursuers to follow. With no money, there wasn't anywhere for her to really go; who would feed or clothe her when she only had promises of payment at a future date? She couldn't even whore her body because of the tender state she was in, and how she was unwilling to engage herself in sexual activity with anyone other than her husband. It was with this thought she remembered James was not with her and that if they'd taken her from the hospital with him around they could easily have kidnapped or killed him to prevent interruptions in their plans, whoever 'they' were. She couldn't go to the police or a pokémon centre in case the civil servants recognised her as the one who trashed it a couple of years back, which left only one place that would certainly offer sanctuary, even though it was against all her principles to do so. The building she had in mind was Team Rocket Headquarters.

      Meowth returned to the scene of his former friends' child's grave with a large peony, feeling like the bright flower could help lighten the dark atmosphere surrounding it. If anything, the contrast was too great and made it even worse for the pitiful creature. The weather was better than that in the distant city the mother was in, but it still whittled through his skin easily, as his fur had still a lot of growing back to do from when he was in Team Rocket. A couple of days ago, his ex-partners had their whole lives in front of them but now they had exactly what he did; absolutely nothing. Well, at least they'd have each other, whereas he had mutinous comrades who played him for what he was worth. He needed to pull the plug on the ditto's plans before it was too powerful with the naïve teenager, but then he'd have Butch to deal with when he discovered he'd been deceived all along.

      Suddenly his ears prickled as he detected Jessie's name being mentioned in a conversation, and although at first he took it to be someone else as it was a fairly common name, he become conscious of the fact it must be the same one from the context. It was the two doctors from the hospital discussing the case again as they wandered around the city on their breaks to see if they could locate her. They could only buy so much time for themselves before their superiors were informed of the ordeal after all. Meowth dropped the flower and ran for all he was worth; from what he'd learnt, it sounded like James was told his wife died, and if that was the case he'd be unstable and could do anything. Whether James saw him as an enemy or not, the cat-type needed to tell him the truth before he did something stupid, unless of course he was already too late. One question rang in his ears though; why had James run off so quickly yesterday when he was talking to him, and where and why would Jessie have gone, especially when she would be in far too delicate a state to move?

      Tyra reached a slight breakthrough in her condition as the midday sun streamed through the window and hit off her eyes. She hadn't moved once since the paralysing poison first became active in her body, but now she suddenly felt spasms coursing through her body from her abdomen down. It hit her harder, more frequently and more viciously than the spear-like effect one receives when plunged into water barely above freezing point. It was terrifying for her, but the only thing that got her through it was her knowledge it was solid proof she'd lived through three days of hell, partially feeling the hunger, really feeling the dehydration. Her saliva had transformed into glue in her mouth, making her discomfort even more difficult to endure. Sweat appeared all over her body, drowning her pores as she ran the worst part of the fever, then as soon as it started, it stopped. She cried out in exhaustion, unable to face another second of the torture and felt incredibly weakened, light-headed from her body losing a heinous amount of what little moisture it possessed.

      She looked out of the window, ecstatic at being able to move again. The bustling main street of Mallow City acted as the panorama for her tired eyes. She'd forced herself to stay awake over the past seventy two hours in case she never woke again, and instead of feeling tired, she'd never felt so regenerated before in her life. She didn't know where Jessie and James were to deliver her warning, but she found she couldn't care less what happened to them. She'd lost a lot because of his family, and he only stayed with her for one night willingly because she forgot to point out that she'd had a miscarriage with a baby that probably wasn't even his. They were welcome to whatever destiny lay before them and she was not willing to be the scapegoat for whatever failures or disasters they faced. For the first time since she'd left her unloving non-biological parents to join the bicycle gang, she was able to start a new life for herself where she wasn't going to put anything from the past ahead of her. Nobody in this city knew who she was; this would be her new home. She could be a person she didn't think she was capable of becoming after the past twelve months, all the more reason for her to celebrate this rebirth. This surging mirth rushed through her system, then she felt light-headed again and crumpled in a heap on the floor. She'd died without a worry in the world, away from the misery her life was throwing on her; in spite of her vows, her lover's mother would never know what revenge Tyra had stored away for her. The poison used had circulated in her blood stream too much and with most fatal illnesses, it looked like she was cured when it hit with maximum savagery.

      Jessie staggered more than walked into the formidable building that sheltered highly dangerous criminals. Her body screamed for her to turn around and walk back on the cold streets, and wait outside the pub until six o' clock, but she knew it wasn't worth risking her life with whoever did this to her out on the hunt for her. She recognised the secretary from all the times she'd worked there, but chose to ignore reception and raced towards Giovanni's office. Human speech is incapable of describing the absolute dejection she felt, returning to the man who nearly killed her and certainly wanted her husband killed. She bitterly thought about her mother, and how her death was treated as such common knowledge that nobody had told her the version of what happened to her that differed from the one she'd told when she was seven years of age. He'd raped her on a couple of occasions, yet here she was, looking for her shelter from a complete monster. The workers seemed unaware that she was over halfway down the corridor to his office, but the door swung open as she neared it. She suppressed a shudder as she heard that voice, telling his secretary not to allow any further communication with the office until he requested it. She'd informed him immediately of his impending visitor from the moment she'd seen her in the street and had opened and closed the door on his behalf, seething with jealousy. She was never going to be Giovanni's top choice, especially when his desire strode so willingly into his lair in spite of all that had happened to her.

      The door closed as she tentatively stepped forward, seeing only the top of his head as the chair faced the window. Raindrops slid down her coat and smacked off the expensive flooring, the noise of it resounding heavily in an eerie echo around the room, making the only disruptions in what was a breaking silence. It was only when the padded leather chair swivelled around she discovered the marks the explosion had left on his face; she'd seen hardly anything of him the day before except for his eyes as he raped her, as a good portion of her time was devoted to squeezing her eyelids in terror as he attacked the insides of her without a show of mercy. His eyes were widened as though he was dulled from lack of sleep, whilst he personally thought a ghost stood before him. She was deathly pale, almost a lucid white, yet her face had matured and worn a lot, so the resemblance between her and her deceased mother was striking. The hatred her eyes sent towards him was incredible, it was almost enough to set the space where he sat alight. She took a couple of menacing steps towards him, swallowing her fear and pride, but not that incendiary hate; it was all that was keeping her going.

      "You raped me. Did you know someone forced this baby out of me, and I nearly died from what side-effects occurred from your little shag?"

      "Why are you here? Surely not to state the obvious"

      "No, to make you learn what you did to me. Every grisly little detail, to make you truly comprehend what you've done"

      "I never knew you were so naïve to expect me to care about my actions Jessica, otherwise I'd have quite this business a long time ago"

      "You've always wanted me though. I'm a challenge. I'm different because you want me more than you have anyone else. You regret hurting me; I see it in your face, along with your desire for you to take me right now"

      "That's partially true. Why are you really here? Telling me could easily wait until you'd recovered from your blood loss, did your pathetic husband make you risk your life to come all this way? It doesn't ring true with the awful creature I used to hire"

      "He didn't send me, nor does he know where I am right now. Someone took me here, so I want to hide out here until he can rejoin me. I have no money so I can't stay anywhere else; make no mistake in knowing this was my final option"

      "How do you expect to pay me without money? I don't work for free or give anything away Jessie"

      "Neither do I, but you paid me very little when I was in your staff. And I can pay you in one way"

      She opened her coat and exposed her body to him, then carried on walking with her numb feet half-slipping on the floor until she was right in front of him and undid the zip on his trousers. She fought against the tears, screams and shudders she wanted so badly to release as he pulled her wet coat down her arms to slap against the flooring, and then he pushed her into the direction of his quarters to accept maximum payment of her currency. All through her torturous experience she silently prayed for forgiveness from her husband all those miles away.

      James was distracted from his suicidal notions when he felt a shudder ripping through him; the depression was replaced with a certain degree of hope and happiness, as he'd only felt those when Jessie was alive, even though it would mean she was in great pain or distress somewhere. The main factor here was that she was _somewhere_ and not dead as he'd been wrongly informed by the doctors, possibly in good enough health because the shudder had been quite slight, even though it was only like that because of the distance involved. Almost at that second, Meowth entered via the window, with his claws sheathed in case his ex-partner thought he was staging an attack. Both only said two words to the other, but both had smiles on their faces when they verified her existence.

      "She's alive"  
      "I know"

      James put aside the fact he wanted to tear the cat-type limb from limb for the destruction of his child for a minute, listening intently to the story of how a man had supposedly entered her room and raped her to the point where her stitches burst, as opposed to her simply haemorrhaging as he'd been notified by the doctors. When he was told there wasn't a trace of her anywhere, the grieving father worried greatly as he knew no matter how unsafe she felt, she would have certainly contacted him herself by this stage if she'd been able to. He also wondered how she'd have had the physical ability to move unnoticed, especially after all the blood she'd lost over the week. Transfusions replaced a large portion of it, but it didn't replenish the strength she'd lose along with it. As if by magic the telephone suddenly rang and his heart skipped a beat, and he answered it once the shock died down. It was a receptionist from downstairs, wanting to know if he was willing to answer an out of town call, to which he immediately replied yes.

      Jessie had lay in the luxurious bed shivering, bleeding and crying from what she'd subjected herself to. She'd feigned sleep after sex, knowing Giovanni would eventually tire of her and return to business in his office. It was only after he'd left that she'd broken down, not allowing him the satisfaction of seeing her in such a weak condition. She felt even lower than she'd have imagined because it wasn't her vagina he'd taken her in, and it wasn't that bleeding. After all the times she'd chastised James for his actions of betrayal, she'd deliberately willingly but not with want set out to carry out an infidelity with someone they both hated. Was the life she'd saved with this mistake really worth her while living? She waited for the majority of her hysterics to die down before she picked up the bedside phone and dialled directory inquiry to get the number of where she'd stayed with James the night of the horror, hoping he'd be around to clean out their room if nothing else. It was a long shot, but she felt like it was a risk worth taking, especially since she'd paid Giovanni handsomely minutes ago for the phone call. She wanted to retch to remove a certain taste in her mouth too, as it contained more than just her aggressor's saliva. She was overjoyed to know he was still there and that she wasn't on a camera phone in case he was, as she didn't want to display her situation in case he refused to help her with knowing the truth. It seemed to be an eternity to her until the receptionist transferred the call through, as the last thing she wanted was Giovanni returning and letting James hear his voice before she'd explained as best she could her reasons for her betrayal, if she even told him at all.

      "James?"

      "Jessie, are you all right? Where are you?"

      "I'm not all right, I have no idea how I got here or who took me"

      "Where is it you mean when you say 'here'? And why did she tell me that this is an out-of-town call?"

      "I'm in Viridian with no money or clothes, just a soaking overcoat. I'm scared and have nowhere to go James"

      "Go to the pub I worked in Jess, she'll house you easily. I'm going to get the first bus out of here, but even so I might not be able to get to you until tomorrow at some time, there's a huge distance between the cities. Have you no idea how you got there, and so quickly?"

      "No, nobody was around when I came to so I ran and ran to get away from there. The Silver Bullet's closed until this evening, Elora's father died or something. There was a note on the door, but to be honest I wasn't really paying much attention to it once I saw it was shut"

      "Jessie?"

      "Yes?"

      "If you've no money, how are you able to make this expensive call? Not even the pokémon centres give people money make calls, no matter how desperate, plus I can't hear any pokémon in the background. Where are you?"  
      She was hesitant in delivering her reply, as she couldn't lie, and she couldn't tell him the full truth. He'd never come for her if she told him—she wouldn't if the roles were reversed, she'd curse him and hope the worst happened to him. He repeated his question of her location and she found holding back more wretched sobs was too much of a strain for her weakened state to cope with for the moment.

      "Viridian Gym"

      Silence deafeningly dripped for a few moments around Jessie's heart-breaking sobs, and he asked her in a dangerously quiet voice whether she was hiding out in the gym or the headquarters, and she could almost feel his anger hitting her when she replied honestly with the latter. He hissed his next few sentences, reverberating anger embodying his words with a sinister twist.

      "They don't let you make free calls either Jessie, _how the hell are you paying for this_?"

      "It's not a coin phone"

      "Jessie I've been in there, every phone available to the workers are payphones, to make sure he can get enough of his money back from them before they leave with as little money as…hang on, it's too quiet for you to be in the waiting room. **Where the hell are you?**"

      "I didn't pay for this with money"

      "You stupid bitch, do you think its some sort of sick fun to ring me when you're in bed with a rapist, YOUR rapist might I add? To think I missed you like hell"

      He hung up and the engaged tone resounded painfully in her ears as she wailed at how he'd treated her, even though he was fully justified to do so. She hung up and hit redial, four times, each time the receptionist told her he refused her call and the connection was not made. James seethed with disbelieving rage; unable to comprehend why Jessie would act like that without expecting so much as an outburst from him. How dense and insensitive was she? He failed to notice Meowth's absence; the feline had high-tailed it when he'd learnt of Jessie's mysterious abduction and knew instantly his pokémon comrade had something to do with it, as he hadn't given du Paor any updates on her condition in a while. He'd only caught the beginning of him learning of her infidelity and decided his business needed his attention more urgently than being caught in the middle of a domestic. It was just as well he wasn't around for the human's raw rage, feeling utterly mocked as his wife of four days rang him from another man's bed. He didn't cry or show any other forms of appearing weak; he was beyond it. She'd comforted him when he learnt his ex-fiancée died, only to repay him with this. He suddenly discovered he wished he'd married Jessie Belle as although they hadn't been one hundred per cent compatible, he knew she'd never cheat as it wasn't 'proper'. Violet may have been less trustworthy, but now he was wondering why he hadn't married her when he had the chance, as he'd been with her for a couple of years and they were as close as they could get that didn't involve sex. Why had he chosen a conniving whore over them?

      Viridian City, 22:08 hrs…

      Meowth sat quietly at the rendezvoused spot, waiting nervously for his 'partner' to show up; his uneasiness began as he recalled that the last time he'd met a certain Henry du Paor when he'd been hell-bent on wreaking revenge. With his steadily returning sense of compassion and an over-active conscience, he decided telling his comrade that he'd changed his mind and to call off the thing may not be the wisest career choice he could make. He'd made a friend with enough contacts and resources to assist him in remaining unseen whilst tracing the then-betrothed couple and providing him with the illegal substances he'd used on them. He was deathly afraid of his escape from this hellish way of life and it was this fear that made him closer to his friends than he could possibly imagine—they'd both been there, and to a certain degree they still were.

      The tediously long journey had been an almost torturous experience for him, as the friction between himself and the ditto was almost unbearable. Cassidy had taken it upon herself to become liberal with the amount of scratches he'd given her, and she now possessed a viciously deep one along her neck. It was already evident Butch no longer swore allegiance to him; he'd shot the pokémon as many filthy looks as he could administer without placing his own jugular in great risk simultaneously. Meowth let them all slide by without comment, understanding the boy knew nothing about his heart if he couldn't see past a very cleverly disguised pokémon. He also wondered at what could have possibly possessed Jessie when she slept with Giovanni; he'd been unforgivably evil to her in the past, especially yesterday, so why the change of heart? The Jessie he'd known had been cruel to some, but she would never have voiced her betrayal so lucidly to James, not in a million years. The more he mused over the situation, the more he thought she was alone in the room at the time from the way she spoke, and how Giovanni wasn't making victorious remarks to the husband. Why had she done it if she wasn't forced into it? Then he realised if du Paor and his forces were on the hunt for her, it was a very small price to pay compared to if she were captured by them. His thoughts were interrupted as the appointment began with du Paor stepping into the clearing.

      "Why didn't you tell me the slut was sitting in hospital like a wrapped present? I would have been up sooner if I'd have known"

      "I thought I'd let an old friend play with her first, and as it is James is on his way back to the city right now. It opens up certain possibilities, right?"

      Du Paor smiled a sickening smile, not so because of it being overly sweet, but instead the total opposite. He planned revenge and knew how to carry it out. It applied to them both, and it would teach them a lesson they'd never be capable of forgetting for the remainder of their lives.

      Jessie made no attempt to hide the tears and tantrums welling inside her soul when she was forced into sexual activity again and again that night, the pain almost more unbearable in her other orifice than where her recovering skin lay. She hated herself for putting her life before her marriage, as this way she'd live and hate herself for longer rather than du Paor catching her and torturing her; at least she'd die and be unable to think about her martyred actions then. Nothing about this marked her as a martyr; it did nobody any good except for Giovanni who was in it to gain his own satisfaction, and unfortunately for her, he kept withdrawing before ejaculation as it didn't wear him out. He'd restart the process when the feeling of being on the brink disappeared, then did it again to make her miserable. She was his, and this was infinitely better than when he was with Lindsey as he bore no fear for her, it was all about just his superior strength and dominance this time, and they both knew it as they engaged in it. Jessie didn't know if her husband would come, and part of her didn't want him to, in case when he did they were like they were now. It would kill her to betray him even more, and doing it in front of his hate-filled eyes would simply be too much for her to cope with. She lost her baby, Meowth as a friend, her pokémon and now it looked like she'd lose her husband along with them. She hoped he wouldn't kill her pets, as by losing her pokémon, she referred to leaving them in the room where she'd miscarried. If he never went back there they'd be dead or someone else would train them. What had she done? By this stage, however, the question she should have ideally posed upon herself should have been what hadshe not done.

      James knocked yet another short back, unable to count what number he was on, or the price of the money he owed for the alcohol either. His cigarettes were long gone too. It didn't matter anymore; he could run up a tab as high as he liked and still be able to afford it, as his bank account contained almost enough for the house he was supposedly buying to move in with his wife. That was a joke in itself, his marriage hadn't even lasted a week—how could he pay off a mortgage where he'd be living on his own? He'd wanted more than anything for Matt to have been working that night, so he could vent his spleen with someone other than his head to fume at, and he desired a punch-up to practice for the one he was going to have with Giovanni for reverting his wife back into an unpaid whore when she'd been clean from that business for a fortnight, as far as he knew.

      As a force of habit he tidied up the pub with Elora and the barmaid that had replaced him, a pretty young girl who looked far from troubled with life. He didn't know her name and did not want to learn it, how dare she be so happy when his life was so dismal? She was bad at her trade anyway, as she dropped the small fistful of bottles in her hand; any person with an idea of what they were doing would have put the bottles necks between their knuckles to carry a lot more at once than the idiotic way she'd been doing it. It was only because he was still fairly sober in spite of the vast amount of alcohol he'd consumed that held him back from taking his frustration out on her, but Elora seemed as tired as he was and told the girl to leave. Kiera left, feeling slightly ashamed by her poor quality of work but still kept her chirpy disposition as she hadn't been told not to come in for her next shift. He bent down to pick up the glass but Elora pushed him lightly out of the way as she had a dustpan and brush in her hands. He became enthralled with the way her black shirt was giving him a spectacular view of her cleavage, and the way her usually not-quite-knee-length skirt had ridden up her legs and barely concealed anything from him. She noticed he wasn't moving anymore and looked up, the only incentive to make him return to assisting her clear away the empty bottles being that to avoid awkward questioning. She'd seen the hungry look in his eyes and smiled broadly to herself when she knew she stood a chance of making her dreams come true, even if it turned out to be yet another one-night stand with a member of her staff.

      When they'd finished clearing and cleaning the bar and lounge, they sat together in a booth, deliberately not selecting the one where they'd previously shared a kiss in the stripathon before as it would involve Jessie in a way. She didn't sit right next to him in case his look had been a fleeting glance of interest and nothing more, as desperate was the last thing she wanted to appear. He was still drinking spirits and they failed to affect him even though he was drinking a large amount of them neat and mixed without consideration. If anything, the alcohol was starting to sober him up, which was typical as it was the one night where he wanted to become blindingly drunk. She was afraid of him finding out how heated he was making her body as they chatted together like they'd often done after work. His voice was still gravely compared to what it should be, but it was better than when he'd last seen her. Maybe it was reverse treatment, as it may have improved after all the shouting he'd done at Jessie to wake her up the night she lost their baby.

      "How did this morning go, was it very difficult for you?"

      "I didn't attend the funeral, it took place in the far side of Johto and I couldn't be bothered to make the effort. I never liked the man, he…he introduced me to sexual activity when I was far too young. Part of the reason for me picking here as opposed to nearer home is to escape the old pervert. Nobody believed me when I told them, so I needed a clean break"

      "I don't blame you, though if you'd told me this a few months back I would certainly have taken it upon myself to seek him out and make you pay, I'm really sorry to hear that happened to you Elora. How did you deal with it, if you don't mind me asking?"

      "I went to a shrink for four years, during and after the abuse, and nobody knew about it. I paid for it all myself from the money I earned in my job, but I felt it was money well spent. I needed to talk to someone that wouldn't hit me or call me a tramp for sprouting lies like my family did. It kept me sane and it's how I'm alive and a completely different person. Had I been any weaker I would probably have killed myself to end the constant shame, but I was determined to deny him that victory and held my head high through it. I lasted and as we learnt today, he didn't"

      "If you hate him so much why did you close the pub today?"

      "How did you know about that when you only got in at nine?"

      "I'll tell you in a minute, if you answer my question"

      "I did it in case a family member was in the area to see me and they saw I carried on as if nothing was different. Although most pretend I don't exist, I didn't want to be isolated from my blood relatives completely. Now it's your turn to talk"

      "My wife was abducted here; she didn't know who took her here or anything so she was going to hide out here until I got here. It was shut so that possibility was destroyed"

      "Where is she now? Why aren't you with her?"

      "I have her stuff with me, that's most of what I left in the back earlier so I will be seeing her, just not as a husband should. She went to Giovanni, I take it you know who he is from the amount of Rockets that drink in here (she nodded to express her familiarity) and rang me to tell me the whole thing whilst she was naked in his bed, that tell you why I'm here drinking like there's no tomorrow. She wouldn't even kiss me properly after she lost our daughter, and suddenly she ran to a guy who's raped her before with open arms and legs"

      "I'm sorry for you"

      "Don't be; it's better I know she's not to be trusted now as opposed to if I found out if I got her pregnant again. Pity she couldn't do it a few days ago; I'll lose half my stuff now if she files for divorce. I personally want an annulment, the less to do with her the better. She's always hurt me one way or another"

      "I'm still sorry for you because from what I've known of you, you're a really nice guy and almost a perfect gentleman"

      "Oh, so I only make an almost?"

      "I've also seen you in action, you can make drunk women love you and get their hopes up and do nothing, even though they as good as start doing stripteases for you"

      "That's not all that true; I tried to make it clear I wasn't interested in women as much as I could without risking myself with potential passes from puffs. I doubt any of those drunken women loved me anyway, in the strictest sense"

      "I know that at least one allowed you to take their heart, even though it was an uncharacteristic action in her"

      "I'm not so drunk I can't comprehend what you're saying, but I can't offer you love in the long-term commitment sense, I can't trust women to that extent just yet, I mean I'm not even married a week and it's in smoke"

      "I'm not interested in what you can't offer me, what can you do?"

      He closed the gap between them which had been rapidly shrinking over the last ten minutes and pressed his lips against hers. She shivered slightly as he flicked her blouse open without manually undoing any of the buttons and pressed her body against his. He suddenly broke away from her, seeing an instant of hurt in her eyes as he did so, then seeing her fold over her blouse to hide her lingerie from him. His hunger was still evident, but instead of making excuses to leave, he walked over to the door and asked her if she wanted him to stay or leave. She almost too quickly replied with the first option and she realised why he'd done that. He locked the door which the barmaid had failed to do, thinking her predecessor would be leaving at a later time, and then he set the security system, making it obvious to his previous employer that he had no intention of leaving her. She was still nervous, but that was lost when he pulled her out of her seat and picked her up to engage in another passion-riddled kiss, both feeling the excitement rise as she wrapped her legs around his hips. They separated only when they were heading upstairs and locked the doors behind them, extinguishing the lights as they went.

      "I don't have any condoms with you, do you have any?"

      "I've never had unprotected sex, I always keep a certain supply in here instead of stocking the vending machines in the restrooms"

      "What's the likelihood of you getting pregnant at this time of the month?"

      "None whatsoever, I'm actually due to start menstruating"

      "I'm clean and I can guarantee that, I've only slept with two women and both were virgins when I did it and we were well protected. I'm not trying to put you into a bad habit here, but if there's no chance of you getting pregnant and you're willing, you'll enjoy natural sex far more than you would normally. I can guarantee you that"

      "Are you sure you're clean? I don't want to do it for a bit of pleasure if there's any chance of exchanging diseases"

      James was silent for a moment, glad they were in the dark so Elora couldn't see his spooked expression at her voicing the logic he'd tried explaining to Jessie recently.

      "Positive. I'll still wear one if you want me to, but this is all about me pleasing you, not the other way around like most men want. I'm going to come at the end of this anyway, it's just this way you get a lot of the fun too"

      She grinned and dealt with his clothing, as he was doing with hers, when they fell back on the bed, acting with the eagerness of happy teenagers but with the maturity they'd both gained to make a mind-blowing combination for the two.

      Unlike the time he'd played away with Tyra, he felt no remorse for his actions after the event. She'd betrayed him willingly, and since he didn't consider them together anymore, this couldn't be considered as cheating, so he might as well enjoy it to the maximum. He did just that every time his body felt recovered, and he was glad he bore more stamina than most men, as Elora discovered. He was also the first proper partner she'd had where he cared about her end of satisfaction as well, and her bliss was greater than usual as it was with a guy she'd actually yearned for. She was glad law forbade her from selling alcohol until late in the morning, as she'd need to regain a lot of energy through sleep after his performance.

                                                  AN:

Yep I've screwed up their relationship once again, any evil comments regarding my work will be greatly appreciated, as to compensate you will get an email back with a couple of reasons why it has to be like this for the plot to work out right. Any positive comments can be dropped off in the review box if you feel like giving this grieving author a bit of happiness. Dedicated to my child that was, but now never will be.


	17. 5th April, 2001

                                                 Thursday, April 5th 2001

          Jessie woke up early, feeling disgusted without knowing why. A slight alteration in her position reminded her that it wasn't her husband's hand on her lower back and the pain hit her from where her unknown abductor had etched their message on her front. Tears flowed in a steady stream from her dulled eyes and along the pillow, still damp from the night's misery. She never slept on her front, but she eagerly made an exception; it was to hide her body from him as much as to muffle her night's weeping. How she'd been so desperate as to resort to this to save her life she'd never understand; she should have started walking back to Sunset City, hoping she'd come across Ash and company to blast her into oblivion, with the chance she'd be directed towards her husband. Now she knew she'd blown it, knew the honesty policy had backfired and instead of bringing them closer it ripped a void, obstructive to their paths to true love. She hadn't expected sympathy from him, she was not that naïve, but she hadn't expected his irrational approach to it either—he hadn't hung around long enough for her to arrange a meeting point.

      Suddenly a cold thought hit her hard; she had the chance to stay with Elora when the mark of respect ceased, but instead she'd chosen to sacrifice her body to the vile touch of an older nymphomaniac man she despised. She couldn't believe the thought failed to cross her mind, ignoring the fact her mind had been on nothing other than her betrayal with James, which should have sufficed as a hint in its own way. A hideous notion sprung up in replacement: what if he'd returned to the city as he was originally meant to do, and he'd then discover she'd stayed with Giovanni the whole time? Her body felt like her undeniable guilt had just encased it in ice, making her wish she'd thought of something other than her baby and wrecked marriage, because now that was all the marriage was whereas there had been a faint hope of curbing her husband's anger before. But then again, if he'd remained in Sunset City to seethe at her betrayal, he may never find out how much torture her stupidity set her through.

      James woke up a few minutes before his sleeping partner did, and he felt partially hollow as he realised he had no regrets about his deed. After the noises Elora had made in the previous night, it seemed she wouldn't either whenever she awoke. When he thought about his wife he felt nothing—neither love nor hatred, or even disappointment. It was like he'd forgotten about his crush on her and given up feelings on her already, which was so unlike his normal characteristics he frightened himself with this knowledge. He was looking forward to delivering her stuff, as it would be the perfect opportunity to show her he'd finally severed his ties with her, and he could get Giovanni back for the unfair assault he'd done to him the day he'd found Weezing. Breaking his nose when he'd slept with his then-fiancée covered none of the acrimonious disdain he hoarded against that man.

      Elora pulled him out of his violent desires by stretching slightly as she awoke, which was probably for the best otherwise he could have unintentionally taken his anger out on her if his thoughts were given quite a while to sour. He kissed her after wishing her 'good morning' before waiting for a reply, though he could find her response within the level of the passion she applied. Her revelation that most men were never around when she woke up was repulsive to him—how could they walk away without at least speaking to her in the morning, even if it was only to say goodbye? He didn't bother wondering if she'd meant it when she said she'd never had unprotected sex, as she'd told him repeatedly that it was far better than anything she'd experienced in the past. Unless she was a very powerful actress, she wasn't lying from what her body language screamed at him. It sounded like she'd had as many partners as he'd had electric shocks, making him wonder if she carried any diseases in her mouth, as not many women would perform favours on their partners with protection because of the taste of latex. She took control of the situation by slipping her legs around his back as their kiss lengthened, and it was only right he showed his hostess gratitude for her assistance when he had nowhere to go. His wife could learn her lesson a little later in the day; why should he drop everything for her yet again?

      With her husband only a couple of blocks away, Jessie scrambled out of bed. The more guilt shadowed her thoughts, the more she discovered a new will to salvage whatever she could from this mess. Losing a baby was one thing, but to lose her whole family, her world, was unimaginable. She picked up the nearest clothing she could see which was a deep red satin bathrobe of her former employer and wrapped it tightly around herself. She squirmed her way as she hurriedly crossed the bedroom floor, his horrible liquid seeping from her, as well as the blood she'd spilt from his violence on top of her unknown aggressor's marks. She felt very light-headed from the blood-loss she'd suffered from with the miscarriage and stumbled as she neared the door. She put her hand on the knob and twisted it as hard as she could, then with a sudden, unexpected pain hitting her back; she fell to her knees and whimpered against the door. The pain struck her again in her side as Persian delivered another swift blow, this one winding her until she lost her grasp on consciousness. Giovanni petted his pet silently, admiring the way the expensive material panned out as she lay sprawled in forced slumber, as it hinted at what lay beneath but failed to reveal any of it. He crouched down and turned the material aside before stroking his other pet. She was his, and the more she'd try to resist, the more he knew he'd take full possession of her in all senses of the word. There was no escape route for her now, as far as he was concerned.

      Meowth felt the hackles on the back of his half-shaved neck rise as he awoke from the hellish nightmare from which he suffered regarding Jessie's horrific miscarriage. He opened one eye and instinctively rolled to his left, entering an attack stance to defend himself from whatever made him feel this uneasy about his surroundings. Moments later an extremely heavy book landed where his head had been just seconds beforehand with a colossal amount of force thrusting its momentum. He looked upwards and saw the ditto resembling Cassidy with a snarl for an expression; it would have been an easy, mess-free death where she could have told Butch he'd slept with that precariously balanced above him or something. Now she'd have to rethink her plan for her second attempt at taking the cat-type's life quietly as there would be no possible openings for another failure after this botched attempt. She turned and headed for the bedroom to ensure there was at least one ally there to back her up if she needed assistance, leaving the other pokémon to dwell upon his hate-breeding thoughts. How had he become so entangled in his own web of treachery and deceit when he'd planned this to the very last detail, with allies from two very powerful and even more dangerous sources? He stalked off and settled in a quiet corner beneath a table, hoping this would provide a source of sanctuary for a couple of hours so he could sleep off his fatigue, even though he knew it would be riddled with nightmares.

      Anthony awoke from his heavy drink-induced sleep with a surprising sight connecting with his bleary hangover spoiled vision. Lindsey sat with her sense of arrogant pride, glowing as she watched confusion, love and a certain degree of terror cross his face and betray his true thoughts. He was still where he'd heard her telephone call, unable to stand up or even adjust his position as his legs were dead from him falling asleep with them still crossed. She was two feet away from him at the very most, and when she leaned over him, his instincts had to be suppressed. There was no way in hell she was here for what he wanted, to admit her love for him, so he wouldn't allow any forms of weakness to be visible to her. She saw his obvious restraint and although she'd forbidden herself against slotting back into her old routine, she traced the line of his lips with her tongue, savouring his fear and curiosity. He still refused to succumb to her games just yet and didn't respond in any manner and feigned indifference, as if this happened to him every day of the week. She hovered above his eyes and bore into them with a surprising amount of force from her own and remained in that stance for a moment before delivering her message.

      "In your eyes things haven't changed all that much between us over the last couple of days. I could have you killed in a moment for your actions with the gun, but I won't. Not yet in any event"

      "And why are you choosing to display a sense of generosity when it was only yesterday you threatened me with consequences you could personally arrange?"

      "I have found a purpose for you to stay in the realm of the living, which can be utilised or repudiated at the cost of your life"

      "What can I do that the extensive guard of Team Rocket can't? Your puppet would do anything at your whim and you know it"

      "That's true, but this is something my 'puppet', as you phrased it, cannot know about. The rewards for the work may be increased upon your success, do you accept or decline?"

      "Only a fool accepts something before all the details are known, elaborate to earn your answer"

      "Kill a certain ex-member that's creating trouble once more. Giovanni cannot learn of this mission at any costs"

      "Who could possibly bother you and not him? Hang on, it's that slut he used to pine after, you're faced with competition for his devotion, isn't it?"

      "Yes, but it's not his affection I want, it's his business. With her out of the way I can make my move and promote you to a much higher rank if you so desire"

      "How exactly do you enhance a worker's status when they don't belong in your workforce?"

      "This is your last opportunity to accept or decline. I'm capable of running that place by myself but I could also do it with a partner. Think about that sentence in all possible meanings of the word, and prepare your answer immediately please"

      "I'll carry out your request, but how do I know you'll complete your side?"

      "If she dies, I'll have to act immediately or else I'll face the same fate as she will. He'd be dead or out of the picture in some sense within a matter of hours of your success, and you'll be in the work force again, with a role of utmost importance to the organisation. With me"

      She stood quickly and left the room with a sudden haste, as though she'd forgotten to clock in for work on time or something, leaving the poor youth with a splitting headache and false hopes of getting back with the one he was in love with. Even though he was completely awake, he remained motionless for another hour or so, enjoying the tingling of his senses returning agonisingly slowly to his lower limbs. His thoughts of revenge were redirected to willingness to succeed with this new mission, feeling nothing, not even a shred of friendship for the one he was assigned to kill. The job would be done effectively whenever he discovered the perfect moment to do it without a risk towards his identity as a sniper becoming known to Giovanni. He'd kill that fool too if he got the chance.

      Ash walked through Viridian City with a bright expression upon his face, still feeling elated from the victory he'd achieved in the tournament. The leaders of the tournament had even provided him with transport back to his home town in their promotional tour of the country, and he'd felt pleasure seeing his mother and her Mr Mime again. Upon depositing his trophy and recuperating from the tiring travelling, he'd set back out on his journey, revisiting the location of the town that used to contain the Gym dealing with Earth badges. Misty trailed dejectedly behind him as usual, still feeling betrayed by her friend for hitting her, never mind the severe thrust entailed with it as well. Ever since it happened, her Togepi had stopped chirping, as if it understood with some weird logic that her lack of happiness must be mimicked. Pikachu trotted along the street a couple of feet ahead of its trainer, feeling as if it was on top of the world at being the pokémon responsible for the crucial victory in the tournament, as well as being back on familiar ground. Life was so much different for it now than when it had first been in that location with Ash, and it had very few regrets with its life from occurrences between those dates. Fate was good to them, so why should they worry? That's what the carefree pokémon truly believed anyway. Brock's attention darted intermittently, finding staring at pretty women far more interesting than concentrating on the direction they travelled in. Even though they were in a city, chances were his male friend could somehow get them lost in this urban jungle. The cap-bedecked youth's stomach rumbled loudly in a protest for breakfast, so the trio sat at an outdoor café to bask in the glory of the sunshine to the optimum. Misty wanted to scream, feeling that she left home to escape her sisters and yet here she was, in a more hostile situation than her parentless life had provided.

      James felt almost intolerably different to his usual outlook on life; he hated his treacherous wife, one of his former fiancées was dead and the other left alone in a different city. He'd slept with a woman he had no romantic links with and felt no guilt for it, nor did he worry about having any potentially fatal illnesses. Life was more of a burden than he felt worth caring about and almost willed it to end, though he couldn't allow that to occur until he'd cleared his mind from the mental checklist he'd created. The last thing he wanted was to discover an afterlife existed where he could think about what he'd failed to do before returning Death its fond embrace. He almost willed Tyra to the area, unaware of her demise, purely to take vengeance out on her, the only female he really wanted to see suffering.

      He was presently sorting out his belongings from Jessie's in the luggage he'd deposited in the staff area of the building the night before, aware that his sleeping partner was watching his moves very carefully. He wanted to shred her clothing before returning it, but he bitterly thought she'd wear it like that anyway, as it would be simpler for everyone to figure out she was a woman with loose morals. Once he was finished, he asked Elora to watch over his stuff and he'd be back as soon as possible. There was a glint in his eyes that frightened her even though his manner wasn't in any way threatening; it was a reverse of the considerate man who'd bedded her that morning. He looked almost inhuman to her, and she was suddenly relieved when he'd made it clear he wasn't looking for a long term relationship. He bore the same aura the cat-type had when it had threatened her for the footage a fortnight ago. He shouldered his wife's belongings easily, looking forward to meeting her in a way he shouldn't, and part of him wished he still thought her dead; even if it meant living with a heavy deceit for the rest of his life, at least he wouldn't have to know about her betrayal, and ultimately he could still love her.

      He strode with a burning sense of determination towards the building that housed his unfaithful wife, looking forward to meeting both her and her terrible choice in sleeping partners to vent his agitation. She wouldn't kiss him with any passion yet she was willing to prostitute herself with a man he thought they hated mutually. At least if she tried to cry rape this time he'd fail to believe her for a second, as rapists rarely allow their victims a chance to make a phone call, especially since she hadn't been even remotely hysterical at the time. Brock glanced across the road at the male and recognised him, feeling his attitude even nastier than the last time their paths had crossed in Aqua Town. He pondered the reason for this display of truculent arrogance, but felt an overwhelming wave of relief pour over him when he knew he wasn't to be the victim of James' rage. Misty caught his gaze and followed it to the male across the street, feeling cold as she remembered his inconsiderate attitude when she'd tried to talk to him and he wanted nothing to do with it. She shivered involuntarily, utterly surprised at his presence. She just prayed he wasn't hunting them out for their part in informing his mother of his marital vows.

      Anthony fixed the target on his gun to the doors of Team Rocket Headquarters from the rooftop of a hotel on the opposite side of the street, feeling like there was hardly going to be any opportunities to get into the building and get into Giovanni's chambers to complete his assassination so he'd have to stay there and wait it out. She'd have to leave at some point, and then when he went through with it he'd get his side of his bargain from Lindsey. He focused his eyes on the figure the guards stopped to question, and nearly accidentally squeezed the trigger when he jumped in fright; James had struck his fists outwards and caused both of them to collapse. He ignored the two writhing figures on the ground and carried into the edifice, not wanting to stay in the area for longer than he had to.

      He paced across the flooring for the second time in the same number of weeks, the feeling of hatred increasing tenfold with each passing second for both his wife and employer. His smile was an acrimonious smirk at the receptionist, savouring the sweet look of fear across her features as both remembered what he'd done the last time. He dropped his bags and smoothly hoisted himself over the counter to the frightened girl. He saw the computer was working again, so he twisted her body round and worked at the screen, his body pinning her against the seat and he entered a code far more complex than the one he previously inundated the machinery, uncertain how long it would have taken them to break it. She gasped as the pressure increased when he altered his position, wishing she were strong enough to move against him, but the knowledge of him being heavier and a lot stronger than her just depressed her as she knew any form of resistance would be unhelpful. She whispered she'd open Giovanni's office if he allowed her to move her wrist and gave him permission to kill her if there was any trace of a falsehood in her statement. He suddenly felt very cold as his conscience returned with full force, knowing he'd frightened this girl into submitting her life—that is if she were telling the truth. He still maliciously sealed the coding, which now displayed a rather nasty comment about the head of the organisation, set to worsen every time the code was worked on incorrectly. He stood up and allowed her to regain feeling in her limbs and she did keep her side of the deal. He thanked her as the office door opened, picked up his bags and headed towards the location that housed both people he hated, as far as he assumed anyway.

      Giovanni looked up from his desk in surprise, not having received a request from his secretary to open it, never mind his lack of a reply authorising her to do so. The corners of his mouth twisted into a vindictive simper, knowing too well what it was in relation to. The younger male was not in the least bit afraid because of his having seen it frequently in the past, and bore no fear or respect for the other man anyway. He asked in a dangerously quiet tone the whereabouts of his former partner, not using her name or her marital status in the question deliberately to prove he wanted as few ties with her as possible. The immediate response was non-verbal, but then the elder of the two opted to act a little less immaturely, as it would probably rile James more with the other method. One word sufficed as his new tactic:

      "Guess"

      If it took any toll on him, however, there was no effect visible. He dropped the bags, spilling some of their contents as they fell against the flooring, turned on his heels as if he were to leave the room then suddenly charged at the unsuspecting occupant of the padded leather chair. A swift, unforeseen blow to the side of his already damaged face rendered the victim temporarily paralysed with shock. James pocketed the handgun resting beneath the desk but removed the ammunition in it, feeling no desire to risk his rage coming back and leaving him with the possibility of relieving some unsuspecting person of their life. His blood still ran cold when he thought about how he'd inadvertently killed Carlotta and her child, especially since Tyra had allegedly carried his and how Jessie had lost theirs. His mother had been desperate for an heir; was he really that much of a rebellious child that he went to such lengths to ensure her wishes went unfulfilled?

      He selected one of the discarded bullets and pressed it forcefully into Giovanni's neck, whispering in a dangerous tone what he intended to do if he came near him again, but to feel free to become more acquainted with Jessie if he so desired and had little taste in women. He threw the weapon behind him, striking the Persian in the side of its face and knocked it out instantly, its temple injured heavily however unintentional the knock may have been. He departed quickly, feeling the disdain boiling as he heard the almost invisible door to Giovanni's private quarters creak open and his wife call his name softly, pleadingly. He was dead to her, she'd made another man's bed and lain in it, so why should he go out of his way to listen to her excuses of how it wasn't her fault she'd stayed there all night instead of getting out when granted a sufficient opportunity? He could have possibly forgiven her if she'd sought sanctuary when she knew the pub was open in the evening, but for her further betrayal she could die of a broken heart and he'd consider it justice for how she perpetually toyed with his over the years.

      Anthony focused the weapon on James as he exited the building, tempted to squeeze the trigger even though it wouldn't be following his direct orders. It was his personal fury that wanted to eradicate the man, remembering how it was his fault that his girlfriend went into Giovanni's bed in the first place. If the code hadn't wrecked the system, she'd never had needed to stay to break it and their relationship would still be progressing instead of disintegrating. Perspiration beaded on his forehead, finding the source of positive revenge partially available to him, but he knew that if he disobeyed what he was requested then there was no chance of rekindling what he'd like to consider passion. His inner torment ceased the moment he concentrated on the door again, and saw his true target emerge, frail-looking and distraught, tears streaming down her pale, washed out face as she staggered more than walked out of the most dangerous building in Viridian City.

      Still wearing the torn red dressing gown, her eyes were puffed and a striking hue of crimson from her terrible crying. James didn't care as he looked at the shell of a woman, but if he'd allowed his eyes to roam her body as was his right as her husband, he would have instantly noticed the ugly bruising and blood, as well as the top of the slogan adorning her chest. Her voice was a sharp gravelly pitch, almost matching how his voice had initially sounded when she'd met up with him again. His eyes became dangerously narrow as he heard her pleading and whimpering, feeling like she was a total disgrace and making a mockery of his disability, but at the same time they questioned what the purpose of the conversation was. She staggered closer to him and he outstretched his fist, catching her on her breastbone, and with a pain-riddled cry she automatically took a couple of steps backwards, in shock from his outward coldness which she was so unaccustomed to. Neither cared about the many spectators they'd gathered, including the two security guards that were still writhing in pain on the ground from James' assault on his way into the building.

      "Why are you punishing me?"

      "How much time do you have to spare and how capable are you of accepting cold hard facts?"

      "James I had no choice, would you rather I died and you never even knew where my corpse was located, forever assuming I'd walked out on you?"  
      "Maybe, because at least that way I'd have a constant yearning for you instead of constant hatred, and I'd have a perfect vision of you instead of this flawed figure before me. A cheating little slut is too rich a term to be inflicted on someone like you"

      "You don't mean that"

      "Who are you to tell me what I do and don't mean, especially when it comes to what I truly think of you? Are you unable to glance upon what your life is?"

      "My life is hell, and anything I've done is what I thought to be the best way out of things. Do you honestly expect me to enjoy what I went through last night?"

      "I heard your wanton wails from the pub, you also referred to him as the man most important in your life"  
      "Stop goading me with your outright lies, I can't believe you're acting like this"

      "Just as I can't believe you acted like** that**"

      Ash was still oblivious to the scene going on behind him, but Brock and Misty were unable to draw their shocked eyes away from the scene. There was something different about Jessie that they just couldn't place, other than her unusual state of attire. It was eerie seeing the couple rowing so viciously in public, and there was nothing they could do to calm them down as neither wished to be caught in the bitter crossfire. Suddenly Misty remembered, and a cold wave rippled along her spine as a thousand possibilities entered her head that could have caused it.

      "She's lost her baby"

      Brock and Ash turned to stare at her, Brock feeling the same unnatural chill but Ash was left clueless about what she was saying as he had yet to see the argument in play behind him. His immediate thought was that James had killed it in the middle of a heated row by pushing her or something, as he was far more violent than when they were acquainted with him. It still didn't explain why they were hanging around the old entrance to the Viridian Gym, which they knew to be the entrance to Team Rocket Headquarters, when from what they'd learnt a week ago neither had any intentions to be in its realms of employment again. They were both able to piece together what happened from common sense, what was exchanged and the history she'd told Brock. The only problem they had was wondering what she was doing there in the first place if she had been raped by Giovanni.

      "Please don't leave, let's talk things out. I know I have no reason to expect you to listen but I really need to have you here with me, for Alyssandra's sake"

      "She's dead"

      "Do you really think that I could forget that? I was the one who went through the miscarriage in the first place. Why aren't you grieving? You mustn't be, otherwise you wouldn't have come out with such a callous remark as that"

      "What callous remark? The kid's dead, that's a fact, and there's no reason for me to phrase anything nicely because nothing can bring her back. Luckily"

      "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You didn't want her?"

      "Can't you understand what I'm saying? Is the dripping of his spunk falling out of you too loud? I'd be stuck with you forever if that were the case, and since she died it means that that burden has disappeared from my shoulders"

      "I have nothing now, not even the dream that you at some point wished to raise her with me. You bastard"

      "If I'm such a bastard why do you want to see me? And don't forget your trash; I'm not looking after your pokémon so you're not left with nothing at all"

      Anthony focused the weapon, knowing that this time he had a perfect angle and that if he pulled it off quickly enough he could shoot James as well, as it would not be interfering with the contract if he successfully completed it first. He made a silent prayer to his god, feeling like this was a life or death situation for him if there was even a slight warp in the plans. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tightened his grip on the trigger. Disaster struck.

      The bullet failed to waver as it followed its course, dead on target as the boy's security training came into play. It was to be his first kill, not an achievement he would be proud of, but it wasn't the fraught woman it collided with. What happened next acted as an eye-opener to both halves of the married couple as to the ferocity involved in their petty argument. The bullet ricocheted off one of the spherical objects, and it exploded on contact, a blinding light accompanying it with a sickening shriek from the creature trapped within. They both forgot their row instantaneously and turned whiter than either had been during their endurances, both miscarriage and throat assault alike. The crowd screamed at the sound of the gunshot and dissolved almost as soon as it happened, without hanging around to find out what the outcome would be like. Jessie stood shaking in shock, searching for where the attack could have originated, seeing nothing. James' search proved more productive though, as he saw something move very quickly from the top of one of the buildings but his poor vision stopped him from being able to distinguish what gender they were, never mind being able to recognise them as someone in particular. Then another terrible realisation struck him; he'd thrown too many in his wife's direction, and they were still uncertain about which pokémon had reached the end of its life prematurely.

      "Jessie"

      No response. His throat was glaringly dry and it hurt him to even say her name like that, worsened by the argument they'd both engaged in just a few moments before then. Although it brought on more excruciating pain for him, he shouted her name as loudly as possible to grasp her attention. She jumped as he snapped her out of her disaster-induced shock and began crying, unaware of how much like a prostitute she looked like as the robe was not fitting her as it should. Despite what every instinct inside him screamed for him not to do, he defied them and went over to her and held her in his strong embrace. She clutched his shoulder and wept uncontrollably into his neck, knowing that he was only doing it because he felt sorry for her and not because he was in love with her and hated to see her depressed like this. She derived comfort from his scent and touch like she usually did, unaware how he was secretly wishing she'd let go as she was stirring back feelings that he knew within his soul he didn't want to feel again, not after her deep betrayal. He picked up the spherical objects from the street and pressed the release buttons, feeling a pang of self-hatred when he realised it was his oldest pet that suffered the fatality.

      A sweeping chill raided any warmth he felt inside, knowing that his faithful dog-type had, without a shred of intent on his behalf, been sacrificed in an action that had saved his wife's life. Was he glad that her death was momentarily deterred? Yes. For it to happen at Growlie's expense? No. Did this change anything about how he felt about Jessie? He was unable to receive the answer to that question no matter how many times he asked himself or how often he rephrased it. He hated her clinging to him, but he knew that if he didn't have her touch, no matter how vile it may seem at the time, there would be nobody who knew what he was going through, as nobody else had seen the deceased creature. Now it was impossible, and he allowed himself a lasting look at the smouldering shards of technology, feeling hollow at knowing how destroying something so small could carry on the chain reaction until it destroyed his life and made him uncertain about what he felt and believed.

      She gasped and jolted backwards as she made the embrace unintentionally tighter with her partner, and the slight pressure caused the slogan on her chest to bleed lightly again. She clutched at it and continued to whimper there, attracting James' attention away from his introspective thoughts. He opened her robe slightly, not needing to move it all that much which annoyed him, feeling like she was a far cry from the woman he believed he's spent the best part of his life fantasising over. He read the lettering with a great deal of difficulty as it was too close to his eyes compared to when he scanned the rooftops a few moments beforehand, the focus range creating unwanted troubles in his eyes when he knew he would not have felt it a few months ago. He felt a deep curdling hatred welling up within his body, making him feel like there must be some feelings towards his wife remaining in his heart otherwise he wouldn't feel this angry at his old tormenter's return. It was extremely unlikely he'd feel this resentment towards a complete stranger, which led him to believe maybe his supposed hatred of his wife was skin deep.

      She felt stunned by the expression etched within his face, as it showed a nasty side she would never have expected from him, it was worse than any emotion she'd ever witnessed in his face, as no matter when she'd seen him angry at any point, she'd never seen anything close to the resentment he now reflected in his face. Not even when she'd witnessed him knowing she'd turned to Giovanni unwillingly or when she'd seen him come face to face with the person who slaughtered his pokémon.

      Inside the building, Lindsey recomposed her cool demeanour and headed towards her boss' office, deciding to use the fear-induced adrenaline at seeing James to her advantage and whilst the guards' attention was diluted. She shut the office door and strode over towards him, noting with a vindictive sense of glee his near-blindness as his face was contorted with pain to an unpredictable extent. She stepped over the slumped creature to walk over to its master, collecting the stiletto from the inside of her boot in her gait. He looked upwards and a brief glimmer of hope appeared across his face, to be dashed when he opened his mouth and asked where his other recent bed partner was, igniting Lindsey's anger. That combined with covetousness, rage, and over all annoyance at Anthony's incomplete job caused the deadly weapon to spring into action, making her glad that she'd planned this manoeuvre for a few days now, and when the computer had been momentarily in her control, she'd taken precautions to ensure her jealousy would reap some rewards from this. He didn't even receive enough mercy to scream for a moment to vent his terror.

      The smouldering tension welling up reached an undecided climax within the male, and he followed it as he felt would be best. He pushed his unfaithful wife away from him and grabbed her very roughly at the elbow, dragging her more than anything else in the direction he'd come from initially. She started to voice her opinions but he ignored them, if he heard them in the first place. She cared for her modesty and struggled to keep the pace as she attempted to fold over the material to conceal her body from the eyes of the public. She faltered, leading to her stumbling as she failed to match his strides and she landed extremely heavily on her knees. His shoulder smarted as the pressure jolted it out of its usual location but didn't take his annoyance out on her this time, feeling guilty by her hurt expression. He assisted her up in a slightly gentler manner but his grip was still too firm for her liking. He lessened the speed at which he travelled to accommodate hers, but if he heard any of her almost muted attempts at a conversation, he chose to ignore them.

      He stopped dead in his tracks when Ash stood in front of him, with his travelling comrades standing right behind him with a flustered look on both of their faces. Misty was like that because she felt humiliated at intruding in such an obviously private matter, and upset with herself for perpetually following someone she despised. She was still feeling stung from the attitude James had possessed when she'd spoken to him in the hospital. Brock's red face was caused by trying to draw his gaze away from Jessie's skin owing to her poor choice of attire; normally he would have continued to stare but his conscience told him it was a bad idea when he'd learnt of her rough year. He wished Ash hadn't crossed the road to interfere, as he should have learnt his lesson from past experiences not to approach James when he wasn't in a sociable mood such as now. The eldest male narrowed his eyes in distaste when the obstruction in his path failed to disappear immediately, a sure-fire alert to all but one of the others present that it signified imminent danger.

      "Move"

      "Hey that's not very polite, what are--?"

      "I don't give two flying f--"

      "James, be nice"

      "I really couldn't care less what you've got to say either Jessica, so don't interrupt like a good little slut. Move it now, before I really lose my temper as my patience is slipping out of my grasp by each passing second"

      "What sort of gratitude is this?"

      "Gratitude? What for? You sticking your pointed nose in where it doesn't belong, which incidentally is my business which doesn't concern you, yet again may I add?"

      "Watch your mouth, I meant gratitude for making sure your wedding ran smoothly"

      Jessie suppressed a cry of pain which she really wanted to release as his grip tightened on her arm. His eyes were narrow slits, rivalling those belonging to the youth standing behind Ash, and she felt his rage expanding in his body, his muscles feeling dangerously taut. Her lip involuntarily quivered as more tears welled in her eyes but made sure she remained silent; she disliked the idea of attracting attention towards herself when he was this furious, never mind the unnameable rage he felt against her at the present. She also knew attempting to call any such attack as unprovoked would be a blatant lie. She felt he could do his worst and she'd still deserve more—_how had she been so stupid?_

      "Explain yourself, now. Just be glad I'm offering you that chance, as trust me, I'm very close to taking it back if you don't hurry up"

      "I arranged something for your marriage which you'd failed to think about, and it made it more complete didn't it?"

      James' patience soon became a thing of a past. He lifted Ash up by his collar and pressed him roughly against the side of the building by which they stood, Jessie nursing her stinging arm when the vice-like grip disappeared. Ash had never known fear like he did then; even with gravity making his toes point downwards, they still failed to reach the ground. The heavy bruising on James' fists became apparent to the group, created in his fury with the feline when he'd appeared when talking to the sibling of one of those present. The skin covering said knuckles were far from insipid, a glowing white stealing the limelight away from the deep pigments of which the bruises consisted, the skin incredibly taut. The boy whimpered, feeling a warmth moisten the inside of his trousers, not embarrassed but afraid, understanding his pokémon could try to save him, doubting the male would even count their vicious attacks as so much as a tingle. The boy was right, as the man did not feel anything when Pikachu jumped in to save its master, not understanding what was going on, not really.

      "Did you think it was funny? We'd thank you for the addition? I've spent so long staying away from…that…"

      "Surely you can't resent them that much? Surely their presence was not as terrible as you're making it out to be?"

      "How can you speak so freely on matters of which you know nothing? I sincerely doubt you've experienced a childhood anything like mine, even the sight of anything that acts as a reminder to it fills me with fear, knowing what I could turn back to if life turns out any worse. Do you have any idea how you ruined my first proper night with that tramp behind me?"

      She didn't defend herself against his verbal abuse, not seeing how she could. Not after how she'd betrayed him so needlessly. She felt moisture of her own emerging from her crotch but said nothing, crouching down to relieve the pain a bit. Brock moved his head further back, finding something more interesting than the prospect of his friend being beaten up by means of her body, the sides of the robe failing in the duty of concealing her. As he caught sight of the ugly stitching and the blood trickling out of her, over the surgical thread, a change occurred in Brock. For the first time since infancy, he wasn't horny.

      "I…I—I'm sorry, really I am, I didn't see what harm would come of it, honestly"

      "How could you not? How did you obtain them in the first place?"

      "Obtain what, invitations? We didn't, we don't even know where it took place, and I mean that. Guys, help me"

      "Don't act naïve with me; you know full well that's not what I was referring to. Why you would merit an invitation is beyond me for all the stunts you've pulled"

   "I'm not acting anything, all I did was tell your mother when I bumped into her, I never knew it would be that terrible for her to attend, I thought you'd resolved all that months ago"

      James released Ash, not noticing him crumple awkwardly to the floor as the tension was released, the dangerously low tone he'd adopted forgotten as a thousand fears flooded his memory. His face paled to a more ashen hue as his fists reclaimed their normal colour but with a crimson tinge as the stretched skin resumed its flexibility, and suddenly Jessie worked out what his harsh realisations were.

      "She knows?"

      "Yes, wasn't she there? Isn't that why you just launched an attack on me?"

      "No, I had no idea…did she give any tell-tale signs of how she felt? No, of course she wouldn't, not to you…Just when things couldn't get any worse"

      "What did you think he'd done?"

      "Someone thought it'd be funny to spike my drink and from what you said, it sounded like you'd done it. I apologise, though I'm still not happy with you divulging information that wasn't yours to share"

      "Why would anyone want to spike your drink? Did they think it was Jessie's?"

      "No, they knew it was mine, as she was so pregnant nobody would assume an alcoholic drink to be hers"

      "Why? You're male"

      "Would you like a medal for your extensive observation?"

      "You know what I mean; it's usually women that get their stuff spiked. Isn't it?"

      "Like with me"

      It was the first time Jessie had properly spoken, and the pre-adolescents noted the haunted sound to her voice. She was still crouching, feeling unwanted memories of Giovanni and Mondo raping her when she was too frightened and helpless to be competent enough to do anything about the relentless attacks. But that night was nowhere near as horrific as the previous week in her life. James was also silent, not out of consideration for what his wife went through, but because he wondered where his mother was, and what she would do if she discovered them. Maybe she already had but was waiting for the correct time to initiate her attack, as the last time she'd launched it her own assassins had ruined a portion of her house and wanted nothing more to mar her claim to excellence in her style.

      "Was a man after you?"

      "No, but if this goes anywhere, I will hunt you out. I had an incredibly poor time growing up, not from going to a burdening life of riches to nothing. I was in the wrong place at the worst possible moment, and I became acquainted with a hell of a lot of illegal substances in this city. It is for this reason that I request you not to tell anyone I'm here, even if you think them to be friends and especially if they're relatives of mine. You'll learn in due time that the only person you can depend upon is yourself, no matter how much trust you bury in other people"

      This particular comment hit Jessie hard, even though he wasn't referring to her on this particular occasion, made harder by the fact that he turned away from them and resumed his walk to the tavern. Alone. She struggled regaining her feet but Misty aided her, Brock suddenly very withdrawn and quiet, not overly sure he liked women anymore—not that he liked men—after seeing the horrendous damage on her body. Ash couldn't move, still in a soiled lump on the concrete. Jessie staggered backwards when the other girl pressed on her upper arms, still overly tender from their abuse at James' tight grip, then suppressed a vicious curse when she walked on a piece of broken glass, her feet still not healed from her near-marathon sprint the day before when she'd woken in the soaking alley. There was still a fairly light drizzle, but she failed to notice it, having much more important things in life to worry about than the worst frizzy hair from the damp atmosphere.

      James stopped when he released himself from his introspective thoughts, remembering he'd been escorting her back with him because in spite of his intense anger with her, seeing harm come to her was not something he desired. He didn't turn around until he heard the familiar whimpering behind him, and when he did, he saw Misty looking at him like an injured creature would to a predator. He remembered his brusque manner the last time their paths had crossed, and as she released her hold on the unfortunate mother, he asked her to stop for a minute as she hastily turned away. She reluctantly obliged and he apologised heartily, explaining that he'd been going through a rough time, told her about Jessie Belle and said that in no circumstances should he have let other matters make him so inhuman towards other people. He gave her a tight embrace and told her no matter what happened in life, she wasn't to be the person to deal with anyone's anger, and if she was unhappy to alter what made her so. She thanked him and left them with a great weight lifted off her shoulders. She didn't know it was the last time she'd see the two of them together ever again. His nasty attitude returned as he aided Jessie back at a slightly slower pace than it had been before; making her spit out that he had more decency for a scrawny kid than he did for the woman who lost his child. He took a moment to decide on the least callous remark from the selection that leapt to his throat, saying it was different. She let out a hurtful 'How?' whilst secretly fearing the answer as she felt it would have a connection with her infidelity yet again, genuinely shocked by his answer.

      "Didn't you see the fading scars on her wrists saying 'I want to die'?"

      Giovanni awoke with a deep sense of foreboding flooding his system, manacled to a wall by both his wrists and ankles in a grotty cell in a disused part of the headquarters of his own organisation, barely able to see anything as he squinted into the dark. A sudden flash of bright light stung his eyes as the main luminous strip lighting was flashed on unexpectedly, and he would have voiced what he truly felt were it not for his increased fear. It was not Lindsey who paced into the cramped room, however; it was her former boyfriend.

      Anthony strode towards the frightened shell of a human, inwardly marvelling at his unique luck to have won back the woman he yearned for constantly, and to revel in the fallen leader's misery. Just for good measure he struck the older man's face with a bunched fist, to hear him beg for mercy, an act he would never before have thought possible. He never imagined that the man he'd feared for so long would turn into a coward that made a sickly infant appear as strong as an iron-willed dictator with the world within its fist. Revenge can be so sweet, he thought to himself as he vented his anger, unaware that Lindsey still had at least one more card up her well-planned-out proverbial sleeve.

      Elora was horrified, jealous and concerned simultaneously when she saw James arriving at the pub with his wife, as it made her uncertain what the situation was between them, and where she stood with regards the male. He left them alone in the staff lounge almost instantly, claiming he needed to relieve himself when in reality he needed a few minutes to himself to come to the same conclusion Elora wished for, wondering to what extent was he willing to show Jessie how deeply her betrayal had hurt him. Above all, he didn't want to catch Elora in the crossfire as she'd always been a very good friend to him from when he'd started drinking in there from the early days of his career as a Rocket. How much life can change, he bitterly thought, pondering the heart-slaughtering ordeals he'd faced over the years. There were times as not really believing in gods and such he assumed he was nothing other than a marionette being controlled with an irresponsible puppeteer who chopped at the vital strings which supported him whenever they felt his life was beginning to get back on track.

      When he returned to the room, Jessie was wearing some of Elora's clothes, the chest uncomfortably tight as it pressed viciously onto the slogan her skin adorned, but she greatly preferred this discomfort when compared to what she'd been wearing previously. The look visible in his eyes made it appear as if he accused her of changing just for the sake of showing off her body to someone else. The cold penetration from his eyes made her feel more hollow, and she dejectedly looked away as he pulled the landlady closer to his body for a deep kiss where their hands wandered by a will of their own, Elora not particularly caring that he was only acting like this to hurt his wife as she enjoyed the process too much. She just didn't want to be on the receiving end of his distaste whenever he tired of playing that game with Jessie. Jessie turned around and tried to absorb the beauty of the room in which they stood, trying for anything to remove the tears that welled up in her eyes and the silent sobs which were threatening to escape from the grasp of her self-control to wrack her body mercilessly.

      His mother was incredibly displeased at the lengthy journey back to Viridian, having watched her only child board a bus in the late afternoon the day before. She clutched the piece of paper tightly against her heart, feeling as if something was about to happen that would allow her to repay him for the eternal shame she'd suffered from because of him and his petty actions. A cruel smirk flickered across her lips, whilst her eyes were heavy with sorrow as she realised what a demon she'd become, unable to find her true inner self anymore. Her trusted chauffeur, Hopkins, looked briefly in the mirror, seeing her torment and since he'd been working in her service for long enough, he was the only one able to question her when she was upset. He asked her if anything was wrong without being afraid of any repercussions her anger may have on his safety—he was the only one in her workforce that knew of the truth surrounding James' birth and of her bitter resentment springing from a childhood not even her late husband had known about. She looked up and noticed he'd respected her privacy enough to avert his gaze back to the road, driving quickly but carefully. She slid the paper into her fan's third fold, into the empty pocket where the dart that brought about Tyra's demise had been stored, its replacement awaiting her at her mansion.  She replied affirmatively, but added she did not wish to discuss it further at present. He acknowledged her wishes and remained silent for a moment, allowing her a few minutes to gather her thoughts and recompose herself to her usual state of being. He knew something was troubling her greatly, but it was only the absolutely overwhelming problems in her life that she spoke about to him, the other ones she told him when they were of relatively little importance to her anymore. He knew not a lonelier or more troubled human with her astounding strength of mind.

      The Silver Bullet, Viridian City 21:14 hours…

      Jessie felt more than a little cheesed off as she sat opposite James in the staff's lounge of the pub, annoyed not because he looked more handsome than ever in his present attire, but because he was making this special effort for another woman. He intended to spend the night out with Elora, and what was on the agenda for after the nightclub was something she didn't even want to begin thinking about, hating him for making her feel this low for her actions then witnessing him blatantly fool around with someone else literally in front of her eyes. The way he looked at her greatly differed from time to time. Sometimes it was similar to how he was when they'd hooked up on their very first occasion, yet at other times, he saw her as an unfaithful lover that held not a bit of his affection, not even as a friend. His tones also varied, sometimes friendly but unfortunately more often than not it was a cruel ice-beset manner. Part of her longed to have stayed in Team Rocket Headquarters, feeling at least there was a man who appreciated her, even if it was only in a depraved approach, the other part glad to be away from there as at least she wasn't whoring herself for nothing. Part of her wished she'd never woken up from lying in the rain, wanting to avoid this eternal punishment; if her husband eventually forgave her which was unlikely to happen any time soon, she was never going to be capable of forgiving herself for her actions.

      She subconsciously touched her stomach as another agonising jolt rippled through her, a product of an unhealthy miscarriage and repeated sexual assault almost immediately afterwards. James noticed her do this but was unable to bring himself to ask how she was, as he couldn't see how she'd deserve sympathy, although he personally was finding the miscarriage very difficult to cope with. He was just as upset as she was, but didn't want to bring it up as he didn't feel it a fitting conversational topic as well as not wishing to get into a profound discussion with her just yet. He disliked toying with her heart the way he was from switching between considerate and cold every so often, but for the moment he felt it best not to settle with one until he'd reached his final decision on how he wished to continue life, and whether or not she'd play a part in it.

      Elora broke the mental conflicts as she walked into the room in a stunning black dress, enhancing her figure, but doing so elegantly. She picked up a couple of items and put them into her handbag as James stood up to meet her. She called goodbye and left with her elbow linked with his. Jessie's emotions got the better of her and she burst into a fit of tears when she heard a flirtatious comment her husband made to Elora. When the sobs had finally ceased wracking her body, she noticed James' wallet on the cushion of the armchair where he'd been sitting. She curiously went over to it and pored over his cards and things, feeling like she was becoming accustomed to the man she knew, not the man he presently was. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the first of the photographs, remembering that once he'd cherished the first one he'd taken her in this slot. Now a different picture stole her place, a fact that neither she nor the male who owned it had been aware of, Meowth being the guilty culprit when he'd swapped them the day he'd ruined the bank cards.

      The offensive woman wore very little, and the material was not the most effective at concealing her body. She ripped it out of its home and tore the plastic in her fury, staring at the picture, trying to figure out who she was reminding her of, then a cold wave shook her system as she read the inscription on the back of it. 'Great having you around my bed for Christmas, hope this warms up your New Year, Sash xxx.' His writing of two numbers told her it was two years old, making it at a time when he'd been working with her and they'd spent that year together. It was the year they'd attempted to sabotage the holiday over a poor experience of her childhood which had simply been a misunderstanding, how was she meant to know what to do when the pokémon had stolen the only thing her mother had bequeathed to her before she'd gone to the mountains. She gave herself a harsh wake-up to reality when she remembered he'd spoilt that lie she'd been fed by telling her the terrible truth on their honeymoon. She hated him more for keeping a picture of a blood relative, feeling sickened that the only way she thought she knew the person was because there must be some feature similar between the woman and the now highly disgraced male. All the times he'd sworn she was his first despite his bad past, was it true or did he count her as her first outside his family?

      She failed to notice another presence enter the room. He was starting to light up a cigarette as he went on his break but noticed the other occupant looked upset, so he sat behind her and rubbed her back, trying to make her feel better as he was always awkward when someone cried near him, at least this way he might be able to prevent that outcome. She jerked and looked behind her, half-recognising him but not knowing from where or how, and she apologised for interrupting his five minutes of peace. He brushed a couple of wisps of hair out of her eyes and soothed her, seeing this as a new way of annoying the boss, no matter how inadvertently. She swallowed a little nervously, knowing the proximity of another person was intimidating when she considered she was trying to prove herself as worth something more to other people, rather than someone known for a quick fumble every so often. He leant forwards to kiss her but then altered his decision, opting for her forehead instead of her lips. He apologised, saying he had to return to the bar as they were understaffed with their employer disappearing without arranging for anyone to cover their shift on their worst night of the working week, excluding weekends in this sentence. It was the only excuse for leaving her that he thought may have worked, and from her nod, it seemed to have worked; obviously not having heard Elora's cheers that it was her designated night off earlier. This was going to be just too easy…

      Elora led James down an area he was only vaguely familiar with; not knowing where the club they were heading to was located. He wasn't especially worried at anyone recognising them, as this was an area the narcotics usually avoided, or at least they did when he'd been in that world. With all the surrounding police and burly bouncers, there was little chance of an unwanted run-in. They stood before the entrance to a certain place called the 'Serpentine Seductress', and instead of the humiliating process of providing identification when neither had any with them, the doorman waved them through, obviously knowing Elora well. He was young and fairly good looking, so James forced out all thoughts gathering in his head which defined what sense of knowing Elora was involved. They strode under the decorative female in the passageway into the club, and James couldn't resist looking under the real material overhead as he neared the beautiful painted woman's nether regions. He smiled broadly in good humour as he saw a head of an Arbok painted there instead, with protruding metal fangs that glistened in the light, to add an even more venomous effect. He squeezed Elora's hand as she held his, directing him away from the main route the crowd was taking.

      The short passageway stopped, three rooms breaking the monotony of the blank walls. She took her set of keys from her handbag and selected one from the chain, and turned it in the lock of the door on the extreme right. He followed her in, her not answering his question whether or not what she was doing was completely legal. He looked around the room in admiration, learning instantly where the 'seductress' part of the title came into play. Everything in the room was inviting, from the glowing fire with thick, plush red carpeting filling the room, the decorations on the walls and ceiling turning him on. She pushed him backwards and he fell against the white couch, the touch of it sensuous and driving his libido up even higher.

      Afterwards he felt more drained than usual, positive the surroundings had made it more like acting out a fantasy for him. She cleaned up the residue from the material before it sank in, still fairly unfamiliar with there being such a mess but at the same time feeling it was more than worth it. She tossed the tissue in the fire and sat before it, not cold but basking in its friendliness. He sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her, savouring the feeling of her skin against his torso, half-acknowledging her starting to take a bag of tobacco out of her bag to roll a cigarette. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent as he rested on her neck, enjoying the feeling of not having a worry in the world for the first true time in ages. She moved her shoulder as she took the paper in her hand and evened up the tobacco in it, and he saw it was her second as there was another one ready.

      She turned and kissed him before licking it to seal it, asking if he'd like anything else in it. He didn't properly understand what she meant by this, and a cool sensation swept his body as she showed him a packet of cocaine in her other hand. Part of him wanted to run away from her, as she didn't know about him spending most of his life worried he'd become addicted again. The winning side of his conscience, however, was the one that thought him taking the white powder in his fingers and added a thick amount to his cigarette, used to how he'd smoke them in the past. She proffered her lighter and they both lit up from the same flame, both enjoying the intimate surroundings, one mortally afraid they might enjoy something else overly so when they'd grown accustomed to living without it. He learnt that she partially owned the building and the woman at the entrance was based on her, as she'd been the model. He was enthralled by everything she said, loving the feeling of floating as he continued to get high all night, sometimes snorting the powder as was the typical method of consumption so he didn't hurt his throat too much with the smoke. He was contemplating whether or not to indulge in another when he felt a ripple run through him. She asked was he cold and he shook his head, knowing this to signify a bad omen when it occurred, usually for Jessie, from what he'd experienced in the last week.

      He stood up and apologised, finding it hard to move right when his vision was poor as the light in the room was dependent on the fire which was presently very low and the drugs made his head feel light and he found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. He started getting dressed as quickly as he was physically able with his hindrances, making sure he got to Jessie in case it was something terribly wrong with her stitches again. Elora joined him and pulled on her clothes quicker than he as she'd worn fewer layers, thinking the night wasn't turning out entirely how she'd planned it. He felt another slightly weaker ripple and he reapplied his concentration to where it should be. He kissed her briefly and then he realised it wasn't Jessie he should've feared for.

      The door creaked open ominously…


	18. 6th April, 2001

                                                 Friday, April 6th 2001

          James had no idea what had happened the night before and wondered why his eyes were so sore, and why he was asleep in the guest room, with Jessie. He tried to remember what had led him there, but failed with every attempt. He ran his fingers through his hair and found it was sticky, and from squinting at his hands against the morning light he saw it was drying sweat and nothing more. He moved slightly and reached for his glasses, careful not to stir his sleeping partner, not wishing to discuss sleeping with her when she held the advantage of knowing everything. He did something he rarely did, and moved the covers to look at her body, usually seeing it as a risk of waking her up, as well as partially disrespectful, regardless of the fact he was presently married to her. Perplexed was more fitting to describe how he felt rather than turned on or anything; she was still wearing her underwear, and she'd never gotten dressed after sex in all the times he'd slept with her. He, however, was in a total state of undress, making him wonder why she felt she needed to hide from him, had he hurt her? He saw the cuts and bruising coating her back but he knew he was not guilty for those; they were too old and he'd seen some of them already. He felt something sparking inside him that was not unlike pity, yet it was stronger than something one feels towards a friend or someone similar.

      Elora lay in her bed, tears streaming down her face, far more than any she thought she was capable of shedding over a man, feeling it was something she should be well accustomed to by this stage in her life. But it wasn't rejection that caused her to weep; it was her guilt at her setting him up like that, praying against all hope that he'd taken so much drugs he wouldn't remember it, knowing in her true soul if he didn't remember it, he'd remember it sooner or later. No conscience in the world could ever forget a scene like that, nor would anyone wish to remember it. Images kept flashing up in her mind, driving her to the brink of insanity at her own double-crossing and beyond, making her wish she'd never taken over Jessie's former assignment at the expense of a few nights with James. She didn't need to do it; it was he that initiated their liaisons, and she heard what went on in the room next to hers last night as further punishment. The walls to her room were deliberately almost soundproof, but it had been such a humid couple of days both sets of windows had been left open by the cleaner, allowing her to intrude on all exchanged in that room. She turned over and imagined his shape beside her, but when she stretched out to touch it, her heart splintered again when the covers fell underneath her hand.

      Butch awoke holding Cassidy in his arms, content at life working out perfectly for him for once, illegal activities a bare minimum to how he used to live. He inadvertently squeezed her against him, loving the touch of her warm body against his, but then he jolted back when he saw a bright flash and her shape change momentarily when he did it. He knew he'd just woken up but there was no way he'd imagined that, and as he examined her closer he saw no signs of scarring from her surgery or scratches Meowth had supposedly struck her with over the last couple of days. He leapt out of bed, grateful she didn't wake up, spooked by this unnatural display. He pulled on his clothes, unable to find a couple of items immediately as they'd been scattered carelessly the night before, none of this making sense to him. He staggered out of the bedroom noiselessly, watching her closely as he departed, wanting to find answers to the thousands of questions ringing in his head, producing a searing pain as another one entered.

      He scanned the room for Meowth, going to tell him all about his dilemma and saw him furled up in the corner under the small coffee table, and as he approached the feline opened his eyes and hissed as he entered a defensive position, not trusting him as it could have been something his 'girlfriend' could have suggested for him to do. Butch backed off momentarily, afraid he was a marionette being toyed with by both his comrades, but when the pokémon opposite him saw his terror, he sheathed his claws, knowing the boy was not that convincing an actor to convey such emotion. He took a couple of tentative steps forwards in case it all was just a well-carried-out act, not wishing to get hurt by being too trusting right away. The youth's voice was hushed and he quickly described everything he'd seen Cassidy do in the last few minutes. Meowth nodded, sympathising as he knew the dream life Butch had just created for himself was about to spiral into the realms of horror when he learnt the full truth. He took a deep breath and in an equally low voice he relayed the truth as best he could, adding in Giovanni had told him that it really was Cassidy and he knew nothing about it until he saw how she'd twisted his words, thinking it would be suicide to say something as absurd-sounding when he knew he wouldn't understand. Butch nodded appreciatively, falling victim to a few more untruths, not noticing them as he concentrated on how he'd failed to impress a woman in years, then when he did it turned out to be a malicious pokémon, making him a vile person guilty of bestiality. It really was disgusting when he thought of a few examples that immediately sprang to mind. Before they had a chance to come up with a decent strategy, they were interrupted by the impostor standing in the doorway to the bedroom, asking them why they were consulting without her. The disgust on the man's face made it clear her secret was out, and a cruel smile twisted across her lips as she transformed into her natural figure. This was going to be fun and memorable, she thought to herself…

      James' inability to remember what happened began to make him more frustrated than usual, so he lit a cigarette, hoping the smoke would wake her up. At one stage he was afraid he'd killed her, but her slow breathing had just fluctuated and he felt a wave of relief when he realised her side was still moving. Something else that irritated him was a severe sting in his left elbow, with a deep enough scratch running for three quarters of an inch along his skin. He'd discovered that when he bent his arm back as he reached for the cigarettes. He'd discovered another pain which was infinitely worse when he'd stretched, feeling horrified when he knew what it could signify—why couldn't he remember it? As he took a sharp pull off the cigarette, memories suddenly overwhelmed him from the night before all at once, too frenzied to allow him to focus on one and the immediate panic not allowing him to recognise anything properly. He broke out in a cold sweat as the flood lessened, knowing he'd seen his hands applying white powder to a rolled cigarette, wishing he hadn't remembered it. Unconsciously he shook, fear returning in greater magnitude than ever before, knowing he could hold his drink incredibly well, making it more than likely he'd been at the most half sober when he'd chosen to resume the habit that ruined his life.

      "You'll burn your hand if you don't flick that soon"

      He jumped as he heard Jessie talk; unaware she'd awoken as his revelations haunted him. She half-smiled at him in jest when she saw he'd covered his torso in the ash she'd warned him about, a sign of friendship he nearly missed as he ensured the stub was put out properly in the ashtray in his hand. He replaced it on the bedside table before turning on his side and placed his hand on her lower back, noticing that she was under the impression things were fine between them, and he had more pressing matters to worry about than trying to abolish any attempt at saving his marriage. She could tell by his face that something wasn't quite right, but she decided bringing up what had happened when he first walked through her door wasn't a wise move, as she hadn't been quite alone. She took the pressure off one of the elbows on which she rested and placed her left hand on his hip, wanting to return his gesture without him accusing her of throwing herself at him.

      Although she looked far from her best, there was something about her that made him forget their bad history and kiss her, unsure where the desire had originated. She received this message as they just looked at each other, noticing how he'd focus on her lips for most of it, so she acted on impulse and used her hand's location to her advantage, pulling him against her. She lost her balance after a couple of seconds, her elbow unable to cope anymore with the pressure but she pulled him with her accidentally. She broke off the kiss and apologised, claiming that it was a genuine accident and she wasn't trying to initiate anything. He didn't reply verbally; just carried on where they'd left off and tried to hold as much body weight as he could off her, knowing her body would still be tender, unaware he hadn't held that same degree of consideration the night before when he'd bedded her. He toyed with the inside of her underwear, knowing it to be a trick always successful in enticing her further, and when she moved his hands' location lower, he knew it had worked again. Her smile was unable to find an equal as she felt she'd achieved a distinct point with him, and this time he was sober so there was nothing to make her think alcohol fuelled his libido.

      _James turned and looked at the door, clearly puzzled as he'd assumed Elora had locked it from the inside when they'd first entered, and part of him felt scared and adventurous simultaneously that he'd done all of that with her with the risk of someone walking in on them at any moment. Elora stood behind him and looked over his shoulder as she held his hips to derive comfort from her actions, or so he believed. His heart stopped still when he came face to face with his ex-drug dealer, noting the decree of sadism visible on the older man's face. As the dark-skinned man took a step closer, James moved his arms to push Elora gently away from him, not wanting her to get caught up in the crossfire. She betrayed him and pushed him towards the other man, knowing about the planned set-up for a couple of days, feeling hollow at her risking his life to save her own. The predator caught his prey easily, the younger man's reflexes failing as his bad leg had gone dead in shock, making him an easy victim which was what he was destined to become, both a victim and easy._

      Brock awoke in the hotel suite in which they stayed, making a pleasant change from the woods for once. He had avoided women as if they carried a kind of plague, still not liking how he'd seen more of Jessie than usual the day before, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever not feel spooked by it. It was a cruel ironic twist of fate that had seen a global beauty pageant occurring in the city, where a good few of the stunning models had found him attractive and asked him out. His cold feet made him turn down every single offer, his discomfort increasing tenfold each time it happened, on top of him being aware that he'd never have a golden touch with women like that again. Not that he was sure if he ever would, but if it came to him facing death as a virgin, he may reconsider his decision. He got up and got dressed carefully, hearing Ash snoring and talking ludicrously in his sleep, waiting for Misty to start groaning to herself as she tried to go back to slumber's grasping arms in a futile manner. It never started, and with a glance over to where she'd slept, he noticed all of her stuff gone along with her, a solitary note on her unwrinkled covers addressed to him. As he read it, he realised the extent of the pain she must have gone through when he'd only seen the tip of her depression, and that was dark enough as it was. She wrote as on a finishing note that seeing James the day before had offered her thirsty soul a much-needed drink of inspiration and a sense of salvation, which she'd felt she'd discovered. She wished him a chance of finding the same and prayed his life was trouble-free for always. One of Brock's natural abilities was not needing to close his eyes as he wept, hearing the salty droplet splashing off her note, glad that she'd turned to life instead of the knife he'd often see her play with along her skin. Maybe now she'd find her inner peace she'd sought after for so long.

_      Sixteen days after running away from home, a bedraggled teenage boy finally found shelter in __Viridian__City__, in the form of a disused alley in a quiet section of the bustling place. It was located behind a run-down and long vacated lingerie warehouse, the derelict building perfect for his situation as there would be nobody around to report him back to his family, dragging him back into the hell he'd only just escaped. At only thirteen years of age, he felt he was living as an adult even though he wasn't even able to shave yet. His voice was finally almost finished settling on an octave, but still betrayed him by forcing squeaks when he was trying to hold serious discussions with people. Well, it was hard for him to hold such conferences when his mother had little time for him, his father belittled every protest he made about the forthcoming marriage, and as for his fiancée…there was no talking to her about anything. The only person he could talk to was Jessie, which rarely happened as he couldn't ring her regularly in case it showed up as distinctly odd to his parents. Her house didn't contain a phone, so he rang a payphone outside her house whenever he wanted to talk to her, under the pretence his didn't have a video attachment so he wouldn't have to worry about his lavish surroundings being observed by her pretty eyes. She also kept up the pretence, not keen to let on just how truly poor the area in which her abode was. He missed her like crazy, having only rung her once since he'd left, not wanting to influence her to join him on his renegade way of life, especially when she'd cheered up considerably upon passing her entrance exam to a nursing school. It was just the pick-me-up she needed after their disgraceful expulsion from the most elite school in the country, a source of humiliation he still needed to shake off._

_      A few days in when he became accustomed to his surroundings, he called his aunt after talking to Jessie, grateful he hadn't cut himself off entirely from his family, his trust in her ever-running as she'd proved her honesty on many an occasion. It was strange when he'd hung up as she'd warned him to move that day, as she had a bad feeling about it. It spooked him, knowing she'd suffered from what could be described as premonitions from an early age, and usually only mentioned them if she thought they'd be of relative importance. To take his mind off the worry, he rang Jessie again and found out it was her last day there, as the school had taken a cancellation and offered it to her. His mind screamed out to tell her exactly how he felt about her, but his conscience told him not to spoil her future when he had nothing at the moment worth offering, nothing compared to a career in something she longed to pursue. As he hung up after wishing her luck, his heart rang out in pain over throwing away everything he was certain of, the security of a home even though he'd never felt welcome, an intrusion to an extent, and now he couldn't talk to his best friend anymore. Gods, he thought, I feel so alone._

_      He wandered around that day, staying out of the public eye as best he could since he was unaware his mother had forbade servants from carrying out the search, glad he was gone from her life for the moment. His mind was swamped with thoughts of regret and despair, making it harder for him to keep a track on things, forgetting to heed by his aunt's advice though he thought about her often enough. He decided to move back home the following day, thinking a hellish life would be better than a life on the streets with eventually no money, clothes, food or if it was particularly hard, without his sanity. It was that night when he slept by the lingerie warehouse that he witnessed a murder he should not have been party to. He'd slept heavily since moving home, weary from the travelling with a bag of clothes on his back, but his macabre alarm clock was the gurgling cries of the dying person, bubbling blood in their throats hindering his final words. He gasped in shock at the sight, attracting the attention of the three other men present. One of them said something and with a brief nod, one of the other two men went over to the intruder, a dirk in his hand, still warm from him using it on its last victim._

_      The terrified youth blurted out an array of promises not to say anything and that he didn't know anyone in the city to tell, not that he wanted to, intermittent squeaks letting him down as he didn't want to seem a child easily picked off. The person holding him back as two observed him had a scarred face, with a delicately tattooed 'x' under his ear, and was to become the doctor James met when he was getting blood tests done to see whether or not he'd contracted anything which could be fatal or dangerous. Their obvious leader there was a tall black man, easily passing six and a half feet in height with a disturbing attitude to match. Vehemence and malevolence resonated from his being, and James knew right then that no matter what went on this man was incapable of gaining anyone's trust and he didn't wish to give him a reason not to like him. He began work that night, wishing he'd started the journey already like his aunt had cautioned him to do, disliking the way some of the brotherhood viewed him, like a piece of meat for their homosexual needs._

      Butch and Meowth were running out of ideas; nothing they attempted seemed to ward the ditto off, and some of their endeavours seemed to actually make it stronger than weaken it. Any time it got injured, it just transferred into a pokémon that had the ability to heal itself. In a crazy attempt, Butch leapt upon the creature and flattened his weight against it as he hoped to cut short its air supply, but the creature transformed into a solid iron cage around him that contracted a certain measure by each passing second. He screamed for Meowth to help him, caught in a dead panic as his breathing became faster and heavy. Then Meowth saw his opportunity, and seized it in the hope it wasn't too late for his comrade.

      He launched an attack at the part of the cage above Butch's right temple, recognising a change in the meshed pattern and took his chance. He was successful, but not completely; the ditto thrashed around, losing its grip on Butch as it arched backwards in agony, clutching its head in literally blinding pain. Meowth's attack had punctured and sliced its left eye, but this victory came at great cost. When the creature had arched backwards, it had been too much for the victim in the cage, going against the man's shape too drastically and damaged his backbone. He was writhing on the ground moaning loudly, and Meowth ushered him out carefully, saying he needed to get away from there while they had the chance. Green-blue blood poured from the pokémon's face, giving the boy the comfort required to stand and stagger towards the door. As they got into the car, they failed to notice the pokémon turning into an Ekans and sliding along the tarmac, healed by turning into another pokémon with healing ability the second they'd disappeared. Now it slithered into the exhaust pipe, determined to destroy them from the engine out, half-understanding human technology. It fainted from carbon monoxide poisoning, its immune system far stronger than mankind so it wasn't dead yet, forcing the deadly gasses into the car itself. Butch only heard the car groaning dangerously seconds before the engine exploded, the acid destroying the insides of the machinery…

      James emerged from the bathroom, filled with sorrow as more memories became increasingly ineffaceable and he discovered to what extent he'd betrayed his morals. He didn't immediately look into his wife's eyes as he re-entered, feeling guilty for his actions, or in this case, the lack of them. He sat beside her as she eased Elora's t-shirt over her chest, in bursting pain as it was not only too tight on her, but it hurt her as it pressed on her lacerations. He touched her shoulder gently, apologising, and he felt guilty from the way she way she looked at him; she was neither angry nor frustrated, simply disappointed. He hated feeling the cause for her upset, putting their past behind them for the present as was considered best for them both. Tears welled up in her eyes and he held her against him, not knowing why she was this emotional, but as he thought about the last week, he saw more than one source which would provide ample cause. He kissed her forehead and apologised, taken-aback momentarily when she asked him what the cause of his words was.

      "I'm sorry, for not being able to treat you properly and for not sleeping with you now. Trust me, I want to; it's just…I keep thinking about seeing you lose our baby and feeling so helpless. I can't seem to act right at the moment, I've just been irresponsible"

      "You're not the one who went out of their way to betray the other person"

      "Thinking it over, there's little you could have done I guess, at least this way you're still in one piece, even if your heart's in many"

      "I didn't mean to sleep with him, trust me I didn't, I just…needed refuge until you came here, and when you hung up on me I thought I'd never see you again. I hated myself more after that. But that's not why I'm crying, it's because of Alyssandra, how she brought us together and ripped us up like this"

      "It's not her fault; we both know who's to blame. It's hard to deal with, but maybe it's best at the moment. We'd prepared ourselves but we still would have found it difficult. We would've dealt with it of course, but it was going to be a lot harder than anything we'd prepared ourselves for"

      "I want her so much James"

      "It's okay Jess, I want her too but there's nothing we can do without the ability to time-travel. You're not alone in this; never forget that, I'm hurting too"

      "I don't know why you can't sleep with me, I'm burning so much inside, and I need to take that pain away"

      "I can't do it, I'm sorry. I keep mentally seeing the blood pouring out of you and I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm sorry"

      "You can shag Elora without problem though"

      "That was different, I didn't witness her lose my child and--"

      "You found no problem doing it when you came uninvited into my room at all hours this morning"

      "I'm not meaning to sound harsh or anything, but I don't remember that, I swear I tell the truth"

      "You didn't seem especially drunk, judging by your performance"

      "I--, don't hate me Jess but I was high. Incredibly high at that, I can't remember much of anything"

      Silence met his ears for a couple of minutes and he felt her tense against him, her sobs ceased. The shock of his honesty hit her hard, making her wonder why he'd gone down a path well-traversed when from what he'd always said made him a hollow person. Had it been his idea to do it? Was he still the desperate child he'd once been?

      "Why?"

      "I honestly don't know. There was cocaine there and…and it seemed like a good idea at the time though I really wish I hadn't"

      "Why?"

      "I don't need drugs anymore; you're all I need to last out my life, nothing else"

      "You make me feel so special when you say that, from what you said and from what you thought—you only want to fuck me for fun when you've something else to give you the bottle to do it"

      "That's not true or fair—you know how I feel about you"

      "No I don't. I know how you used to feel, but people change, as I fear you have"

      "How can I prove you wrong? If I didn't care I wouldn't have travelled all this way to get to you. I wouldn't be doing this"

      He kissed her lovingly, hating not telling her the full truth about the night before, hating her for making him think about the drug abuse again. She didn't know why she felt cold by this; it was as if it had been her words that made him feel like he should have to show her affection, not his own true feelings. She wondered if he imagined another woman underneath him as he caressed her gently, and if he'd snorted anything when he'd just been in the bathroom unaccompanied after failure to become truly physical with her. She was glad he didn't remember a lot of it, as when he'd first entered she'd been drunk with Matt aiding her in undressing. He vanished from the room via the door James had neglected to shut when he'd come to join her, and she prayed he wouldn't say anything the next time their paths crossed. She still couldn't place why he'd seemed strangely familiar to her, perhaps she never would, with her rather relieved he hadn't removed any of his uniform the night before in case a few straggling garments lay to be observed by her husband. As she moved up in the bed for more room, she loathed herself for being such an easy target when she'd initiated it, him hating himself for walking into her room when high—would he have accepted no as an answer? A few minutes later though, he loved her in every term of the word, making her feel half-human again.

      Elora stared intently at the picture in Matt's hand, stunned that James had settled for his wife when this woman was clearly better looking. It was badly mutilated with creases from Jessie squeezing it out of the wallet, as well as from clenching it in her anger-ridden fist. The pair sat beside each other on the couch as they awaited a delivery of kegs and as usual, the company was far from vigilant in their need for punctuality. Kiera, the hopeless barmaid sat in an armchair opposite them, enthusiastically browsing through a magazine aimed at someone nearly half her age, which she thought was very intellectually stimulating, if not a little too advanced for her as some of the content seemed very complicated to her. Before the trainee had entered, the higher members of staff were discussing what had happened the previous night, both disappointed with the way things had turned out between the married couple, as it interfered with their personal ambitions. Matt knew about the set-up in advance, him being the person who'd introduced her to du Paor in the first place. A heavy sigh passed Elora's lips as she knew their friendship could be no more, her life more important than his, especially when he'd gone running to his wife at the first ample opportunity. Bitterness was nothing new to her; she'd suffered from it since she was a bare teenager, loathing all families whose father-figures were not lecherous fiends as hers had been, making a woman of her when she was just a girl. the arrival of the couple in question did little to sweeten her bleak mood.

      James' eyes became dangerous slits as he focused instantly on the barman, his tighter grip on Jessie's hand sending alarm bells sounding out in her head loudly. She withdrew it as his grasp became unbearably painful, hearing her bone creak as she flexed her fingers. The barman knew why he was the subject of the other male's attention as he recalled the last time their paths had crossed, and Elora started to tell them to get out if they were going to start it again. Neither heard her; Matt was unafraid of him, yet something was very disquieting about the situation, and he usually possessed mettle of iron. The very bitter feud between the two was about to commence and all were aware of it, bar Kiera who was trying to work out a joke she didn't understand. Jessie didn't understand why he was acting like this, as he'd never explained to her about what Tyra had told him connecting this man with Jessie Belle's rape, she just knew he wasn't someone to mess with as she finally recognised him as one of du Paor's workers.

      Matt's instinct commanded him to leap up as James took a menacing step towards the leather couch, pushing Elora down forcefully as she attempted to intervene. Jessie had the sense to avoid standing too close to her husband whenever he entered a mood as foul as this. She jumped at the unforeseen quick snap of her partner's wrist, clutching his neck with enough force to scare him but not induce asphyxiation. He rested his thumb forcefully on the base of his opponent's neck, the scars where the electric contraption had burnt his fingers almost incandescent in this light, the silvered skin acting as a source of inspiration to his opponent by providing him with a tactic he wouldn't have considered alone. He struck his fist outwards, mimicking his attack as it collided with James' throat. A quick gasp for air and a violent cough was sufficient in elaborating the venom in the moment, his hatred off the scales now. The situation was not aided as Kiera squealed in delight at finally understanding the joke she'd pored over for minutes. He turned on her and unleashed a vicious torrent of abuse, which startled her as she'd been ignorant of what was going on and she left the room in a burst of tears.

      "Great at making women cry are we, ickle pansy?"

      "You're such a fucking hypocrite; at least I didn't hurt her"

      "Emotionally you did, she could be scarred for life after that"

      "Thanks to you someone I know died from your physical abuse, you know that? You probably do, and you probably gave her the knife or poison or whatever, coaxing her into thinking suicide was a good idea"

      "I can't help it if some bitch can't handle it if I'm too much man for her"

      "You're scum, absolute scum and you were too much, you and your fucking idiotic friends. She a virgin until your little games and she died HIV positive. You killed her, and I hope the virus eats away at you until you're less than nothing, as that's what you are now"

      Matt looked stunned momentarily, and Jessie looked horrified as the pieces finally fell into place for her. Then the shock wore off the male and his composure was once more perfect, almost as if learning of the virus hadn't fazed him at all. Then the bitterness resumed, fury constricting the atmosphere and the women were afraid to breathe loudly in case something insignificant triggered an attack in their direction. Jessie shook slightly as she realised if the comments hurled about the room were as deadly serious as implied, then she'd been prepared to sleep with the man who'd inadvertently killed off part of her competition to win James' love—thank gods he'd walked in when he had, she thought, though part of her wondered to what extent his anger would have reached had he been in her bed when he'd wandered in high as a kite.

      "If it happens, so be it, not that it's likely. Are you aware you're infected? From what I've heard you've been naughty as of late, without rubber as well, and last night you got more than you bargained for"

      "What the hell are you talking about?"

      "When Elora here said she hadn't had unprotected sex, she meant she hadn't with you. Do you really expect her not to have done so with her track rec--?"

      "Leave me out of this, now"

      "Or what, you'll get bossy-boy to come fuck me up the ass? Did you get off on watching it Lor?"

      "James, what's he saying?"

      Something sparked off in James' head, coming to a horrific conclusion within his thoughts. He spun Matt around and twisted his arms behind his back, barely missing the breaking point of some of his bones. The barman was helpless. He turned him around savagely so he could face Elora over the pained man's shoulders.

      "You set the whole thing up"

      "James, it's not what it looks like"

      "Really? Would you care to elaborate that theory a little further for me please, and tell me exactly what went on last night, though I can imagine. You depraved whore"

      "I didn't want to do it; it was a choice between--"

      "Me or you. Crystal clear now, and do you want the pleasure of telling my wife what you subjected me to? How you duped me into believing falsehoods just for your pleasure? What my nightmare consisted of?"

      "How I fucked your wife senseless when you were getting high?"

      A sickening crunch reverberated around the room as bone snapped, though where in his anatomy only Matt could tell, the pressure increasing with each second as James' patience wore even thinner. Jessie screamed out it wasn't true and her husband nodded, believing her over this scum, especially since there was no look of guilt or betrayal across her face as she made her claim, something she was terrible at hiding when it came to him. Elora was chalk-white but stood her ground, at the moment willing to brave anything he threw at her, knowing she deserved it for her irrational and uncharacteristic behaviour.

      "I…I brought a bag of white lady with me, and suggested he tried some. It was only later that I learnt he'd suffered from a struggling habit after…afterwards"

      "After what? Go on, don't half tell Jessie something and then act like everything's all right"

      "du Paor was there…he knew you so I assume you know him, if what I've heard is anything to go by, though it all could just be lies…he told me it was my life or his, and since my father's just died, let the bastard burn in hell, I couldn't hurt my family more. It was selfish and stupid, but I agreed. I heard about your previous arrangement Jessie, I took over your responsibility. James wasn't able to put up much of a fight, especially when he got cut on the arm, and he was…"

      "Easy pickings"

      James' statement brought silence to the room with the exception of Matt's groans of agony, which quietened whenever more pressure was added as the bone continued to creak dangerously. He threw Matt forward into Elora as he caught sight of something on the ground; the picture of his aunt which Matt had dropped when he'd first stood up. He picked it up and put it in his pocket, questioning him how it came to be in his possession. With no reply, he delivered a quick kick to his ribs where the writhing, moaning figure pointed at Jessie who gave James a look that denoted it was true, so he picked up his wallet and left the room without another word. She followed his steps quickly, not wishing to lose sight of him for a moment in case she never saw him again. Once outside, James hastily walked to a bench in the edge of Viridian Forest, holding his head in his hands, wishing to erase huge chunks of his life, most of it when he'd first gone out with Jessie—very few of his problems would exist if the first period had run smoothly. Jessie asked if he'd prefer if she left; his answer beckoned her to sit by him and he held her in his arms, inhaling her scent to cool his boiling anger. Once that had occurred, he kissed her fervently and as the heat grew between them, he loved her in the grass as they were utterly alone, unaware it was the last time they'd ever hold each other like that again, unaware the world they were trying to rebuild together would be ripped asunder in a few short hours.

      The explosion left Meowth and Butch badly shaken, cuts adorning both bodies and the man's back causing him unendurable agony from what the ditto had inflicted upon him in its cage-form. He felt cold. Everything he'd hoped about his girlfriend being alive had all been a lie, fed by the pokémon in front of him, yet he felt no resentment towards him. He shared his pain at finding his friends were still alive, but at the same time they were dead to him; at least this way his friend was dead, not acting to be so because she hated him like Jessie and James were. He regretted missing Cassidy's funeral, so his final goodbye would always be when she died in his arms, which in its own way was good. He knew what had happened and doctors hadn't told him any stories about the way she departed the world like so many grieving people in the world were. He hated the cat for killing her, knowing it had been because of all the drugs pumped through his system and recognising her as the one responsible for him being like that. They were sitting in a beer garden to avoid complaints about a pokémon inside even though the weather was dismal, eating something to remove their nausea and trying to ignore their rapidly growing apprehensiveness; something was amiss yet neither could place it or feel right by blaming their horrific morning. Three girls chattered noisily in a language neither understood, and Butch saw they were attractive, yet he didn't feel anything like lust towards any of them, feeling he was beyond that, at least for the present. Which is just as well, otherwise he'd be committing bestiality again, as they were the three pieces of the Ekans that had split in the explosion. Instead of being dead, they turned back into three different entities, planning their downfall with equal poison in each of their minds.

      Meowth apologised and said he needed to do some hunting, this pathetic excuse for food doing little to ease his appetite being his reason, in truth he just required time away from the human as he came to grips with what the future would hold. In his absence, Butch's mind wandered to darker things in life, no longer feeling obliged to pretend otherwise now he sat alone, thinking about the woman he loved and how she'd never known it. He was disturbed when the women sat at his table, snaking their arms around him, ignoring his request for them to leave him be. They were all striking in their own way, and he reluctantly followed them as one hoisted him up by his arms and the other pushed him forward. The third woman made their intentions known, and he wasn't sure whether his embarrassment or shock at their plan made him feel such discomfort—they were lesbians who wished to make a movie but wanted them all in it, making them in need of a person to hold the camera. He traipsed alongside them, wondering why something like this had to happen when he wasn't in the mood or willing for it to occur when he felt so depressed. They walked into a plush hotel suite, then handcuffed the male to the bed, saying they needed to get in the mood and liked keeping him like that as they'd had cameramen before who assumed he could join in. He sighed as he watched them in half-interest, not really wanting to be there but knowing at a future point he'd regret it—these women were incredibly good looking. Suddenly they approached the bed, partially clothed, and the blonde sat to his left, the raven-haired one to his right and the one with shimmering red hair sat on top of him, tearing off his t-shirt without hurting him, inciting his arousal. She leant forwards and gingerly pressed her lips to his, making him forget about his horrific fortnight to take note of the moment he was in. With an interesting accent, she said:

      "Sorry for not introducing ourselves, let us tell you at once who we are, Butch"

      "How'd you know what my name w--?"

      "Ditto!"

      "Ditto!"  
      "Ditto!"

      He screamed himself hoarser than usual, witnessing them transform and lean in closer over his body, the air almost suffocating with the thick fog of fear. He tried to remove the one on him by bucking his hips violently, but even if he'd been successful, which he wasn't, there was nothing he could do to stop the other two which were rapidly encroaching his air supply. Before they'd properly started attacking him, his sanity was truly lost with no hope of it ever returning.

      Jessie and James stood against the wall of a large department store, waiting for the rain to ease off that had arrived without warning, spilling torrents of water from the skies above. She nestled against his body for warmth as well as support, feeling weak from walking around as each step jolted her sensitive stomach. He felt tired as well, but neither wished to return to the tavern just yet, not wishing for it to resume when they were working on their relationship, trying to make it go somewhere for longer than their last attempts. She slid her hands under his clothes and in spite of shuddering and feeling uncomfortable by their chill he didn't ask her to withdraw them. Without any warning, she suddenly blurted out a demand for him to tell her why he'd kept a picture of his aunt on top of one of her. He sighed and pushed her away, retrieving the offensive article from his pocket. He put it in front of her eyes, not looking at it himself, and then quartered it by tearing it.

      "That was the only picture I had of her, and I didn't leave it on top of yours, it was near the back with another on top of it, are you happy?"

      "No, you shouldn't have done that if it meant that much to you"

      He ignored her bitterness and discarded the pieces into the bin a few feet away from them, and when he returned he tilted her head upwards he looked sincerely into her eyes as he began speaking.

      "You mean more to me than she did, and trust me if I'd possessed another that wouldn't be the one I'd have kept. She's an ex, a wrong ex, but at the same time she was the only one who knew what I was going through when I left home. She's the only one who had first-hand knowledge of that from everyone I knew, as you know yourself I didn't tell you. At least now you needn't feel hurt at her slight presence on my person, though it's been quite some time since I'd even thought about that, never mind looked at it. I'll do anything to keep you, we've got to make this work this time, and I can't face losing you again"

      "What touching words darlin' son, you should have told her that sooner"

      He spun around angrily, fear no longer an emotion he felt in association with the witch who stood before him, anger replacing that weakness at her interrupting him. This is exactly what he didn't need when he was struggling to overcome his past horrors.

      "What do you want?"

      "Why, I heard you were carrying out things rather unlawfully and it's only my duty as your mother for me to set you straight"

      "What, to make me act like a proper person, act and live as you desire? You've manipulated enough people in your life; I refuse to participate in your game any further, so please disappear. Your presence is uncalled for and unwelcome, don't linger like the foul stench of deceit you bring with you"

      "If you're talking about your father, then I hate to be the bearer of bad news but he'd met his creator"

      He was stunned at first but his shock was not evident to any, not even to himself to a certain extent. His impassive stance made him a worthwhile opponent in his mother's eyes, altering her opinion of him being a weak creature marginally.

      "Nothing new there, someone upsets you, they mysteriously vanish. Am I to be next, is that why you're here?"

      "I've already explained why I'm here before you James. I do hate others' incompetence being the cause for me to repeat myself"

      "I couldn't care less what you see as unlawful; I've taken the biscuit as far as you're concerned. I've stolen, done drugs, been in a gang, slept with your sister-in-law…want me to continue? There's quite a long list for me to get through, do you have a lot of time of your blood-stained hands?"

      Pique flashed dangerously across her eyes momentarily, horror rushing through his wife as she heard him openly admitting to her not being his first after all, his state of being showing nothing to reveal anything of a dishonest nature; he'd lied to her. Suddenly her feelings of love from attempting to rekindle their relationship vanished and she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from those two as possible, unaware it was set to worsen. Discomfort swamped her uncontrollably, much to her disapproval as there was nothing in her power for her to utilise in removing it.

      "Astoundingly, your overly-zealous attitude failed to mention the factual basis for my visit, though you do oblige my psyche to deliberate what you exchanged. Do you bear aspiration for another endeavour?"

      "Just say it; the only trait I inherited was a lack of deriving gratification from such games. They dissipate time and get people nowhere"

      "It concerns your tasteless, and might I mention illegal, marriage"

      "What's she on about James?"

      "I have no idea; it was all above board as far as I'm aware"

      "Well then you may no longer pride yourself as possessor of an observant mind, you overlooked something essential before you proceeded. Does this inveigle any retained reminiscences forth?"

      She passed him her cherished piece of paper, knowing it would throw him off his impressive guard for the moment. She was right, and as his deportment altered within seconds of seeing it. He also knew there was little point in destroying it as he held it; this was merely a copy of the original. It was the marriage certificate he'd signed years ago to avoid feigning a celebratory occasion concerning his unification with Jessie Belle, making him a bigamist. As Jessie peered at what lay in his hands she asked him whether or not it was it legal, and he dubiously nodded, trying to think of a way it wasn't true. Then it hit him, the solution to his problems, or so he thought.

      "She died before I married Jessica, therefore it's a marriage automatically exonerated. How can I be loyal to a dead person for the rest of my life? We're living in the second millennium here, not the second century"

      Jessie released the breath she'd unconsciously been holding. The tense feeling faded slightly, but nothing removed the uneasy feeling she felt deep within, as if the truth did little to assist her increasing panic.

      "I am competently aware of what time-frame we live in James, please refrain from divulging similar useless information in future. And it's strange how you claim she died before your marriage when I was talking to her last night, and you're married for nearly a week, correct?"

      "You--you can't have. I learnt of her death on the twenty-eighth of last month"

      "Let's run through this again, never mind, running in circles is another thing I despise partaking in; let's ring her. Talk to your wife yourself"

      He was unaware he shook with nerves as she dialled the number in her personal phone, Jessie wishing she'd made the getaway she'd yearned for several minutes ago, wanting to sever herself from this malevolent atmosphere. She watched as James checked the number before holding it against his ear, and then he dropped it to the pavement, breaking it in pieces like his world was presently doing when he heard a voice answering it. HER voice.

AN

We're into the final 24 hours of this story and there will not be another to make it a trilogy, and up to this point alone there wouldn't be enough characters to continue it even if I wanted to! Chapter 19 will consist of the remainder of this day, at time of writing this I am unsure how long it's likely to be, and because I wanted a fair-sized finale, I had to cut this one short at thirteen pages (the chapter preceding this was eighteen).  Chances are I've messed up your favourite character by now, which isn't hard as I've messed up people like the twerps who don't even appear all that often in this! Thanks to all my reviewers and my loyal beta reader who have given me the inspiration to continue, and hopefully you'll stick out the remaining segments. See you all soon, or at least I aspire to write the next bit quickly lol!

Maddie xxx


	19. 7th April, 2001

Saturday, April 7th 2001

Aghast was nowhere near the sentiment that washed over James as the fact his mother was telling the truth was nauseating, knowing there was no way he could explain his way out of this one and expect Jessie to understand. Even though he hadn't remembered writing the cert, refusing to reflect on his past as it was always a source of inner turmoil for him, unaware it was lies when he learnt of Jessie Belle's supposed death, he didn't think she was likely to shrug it off, kiss him and say it wasn't his fault. As he faced what he considered personified evil, he noticed something wasn't quite right about her expression, showing a side he'd never witnessed before. Within a moment, however, it had vanished and he recognised this one clearly; it was a demonstration of superiority with a sense of arrogance that challenged him wordlessly to make his next move. He just couldn't think of what to say or do, wishing they'd stayed longer in the forest to face this harsh reality at another time, perhaps when life was a little less flummoxing.

"I believe before you destroyed my property you heard your wife alive and breathing did you not?"

"She's not my wife, I never married her"

"I think you'll find you did, as this was your creative idea, nobody else's, and I think you'll agree it's completely legally binding"

"Is this true James?"

With a pain of horror and guilt ripping through him, he confirmed both of their questions and felt lower and more degraded than anything he'd experienced before. She screamed an obscenity at him and the other woman smiled to herself, though there was the strange expression again. It was regret at sabotaging her only family member's happiness, her solitary child hating her now and leaving her in solitude forever. It was heart-wrenching for her, even though she was partially glad that her son would have no choice in splitting from the terrible wife he'd chosen. But inside she knew Jessica was not a terrible choice—the only problem she had with the scenario was his life was rough but he didn't have a problem with it; he simply sought pleasure from the small things in life. Something she could never do.

James took hold of Jessie's arm as she turned against him, arms flailing as she attempted to attack him but didn't have the ability to be a worthy host for the rage welling within. She kicked him with as much force as she could muster in his weak leg, and when she noticed a distinct lessening of strength on his part, so she burst away from him and sped down the pavement, away from her husband and his estranged mother. He cursed and made to follow her, interrupted by his mother throwing something before his path. He picked the small knife from his shoulder and carried on running, knowing the danger he now faced, but right now Jessie running into the most dangerous part of the city not knowing what lay ahead was more important to him. His mother watched him run away, grateful that she'd only bluffed and hit him with a clean throwing knife without any toxic substances on this one. Her heart tore open again; his loyalty and integrity would never contain consideration towards her, not that it should after her behaviour. She waited until he was lost in the throng of the crowds before returning to her car, drowning in misery. She ignored the phone broken in many pieces on the ground—she had no need for it and she wasn't prepared to lose more self-respect to bend down and pick it up like a commoner would. Her plant in Jessie Belle's house had worked in a splendiferous manner by telling her son she was dead, though now she wondered what the future would hold for her, as she didn't want to return to the mansion with nobody but servants to act as company in a large lonely house. Behind her fan, tears fell.

Meowth noticed the beer garden contained nobody similar to Butch, or anyone that was familiar for the possibility the male had joined them and just gone into the bathroom. Something was unnerving him about this, yet he couldn't justify it as he was likely to need space after what had occurred that morning. He left the garden before anyone decided they'd like to try their hand at catching him, not in the mood to endure anything as demeaning as that at the moment. He caught the male's scent on the wind and decided to follow it, just in case he was thinking about doing something stupid, as he was likely to in that frame of mind. There were other scents combined with his, each smelt vaguely familiar but he was unable to place it, as if it were embedded in his memory and it was just slightly out of reach for him to recall it. Frustration pilfered his senses from him, panic and fear welling inside as he tried to reach a plausible conclusion. Then it struck home; that was Cassidy's scent, and since she was dead, the ditto must have lured him out as the transformation had always been perfect. His comrade was in trouble, though the scent seemed too strong compared to how it was before the creature went on the rampage that morning. Something sinister was afoot, of that he was certain.

Jessie ran until she paused in terror; she recognised this area of the city, which was not good when she considered the only part she knew this well was the part she'd lived in over the last couple of seasons. She looked around her and didn't recognise the way she'd come, crossing and turning off every chance she'd got as she didn't want to see her incest-loving bigamist for a husband. Her breath came in quick, shallow visits, her panic overcoming as her common sense returned, degrading her for leaving him even though she felt she must. Staying with him for a few more minutes to scream irrationally would have been a much better turn of events than this. She felt eyes upon her yet saw nobody looking in her direction, making her wonder if it was paranoia or someone lurking in shadows or in a car perhaps. Her watcher grinned, as he knew the time was approaching for him to act. Then she would pay his expensive fee.

Giovanni awoke as his head cracked off the wall again, a fist propelling it backwards as Anthony made sure the prisoner ate some of the badly-prepared gruel, to ensure he didn't reach his demise prematurely and cut short his fun. He'd spent the night with Lindsey and felt on top of the world again—the best bedroom in the building had been where they stayed and he'd never experienced anything like it. He hadn't experienced anything like her attitude afterwards either though; she'd always been considerate in the past and enjoyed talking to lull them to sweet slumber. She'd seemed bored by him and had smoked a cigarette, turned her back to him and brushed off his hand whenever he embraced her, abruptly ending any chance for conversations. He assumed she was just tired from the day's strenuous work so he didn't take it up with her, hoping she'd be in better humour today. She'd told him she'd join him down there shortly, and until then he could take whatever sport took his whim with the former leader, just as long as it wouldn't result in an immediate or delayed death.

She was good to her word and arrived in the dungeon, to term the cell for what it was, a few minutes later. She noted Anthony's open eagerness and suppressed her disgust, for if she showed it, she couldn't use it to the full extent of her intentions. She stood in front of the humbled man, and after a couple of seconds spent staring in an intimidating manner into his eyes, she moved towards him quickly and laughed as he'd met her prediction by flinching in fear. She turned around and pushed Anthony forcefully onto the operating table behind them, kissing him fervently for what he considered to be for Giovanni's displeasure. She unbuttoned her blouse in a second, her expert fingers finding little trouble in the obstacle. She waited until she felt his body yield to her with his arousal, then snapped his arms over his head and manacled him to the table, making him think it was part of a fetish for her. Instead, she got off him and fixed her attire.

"What are you doing?"

"You really think I want to fuck you? Damn it Anthony, grow up. You've nothing worth offering. At least when I screwed him I was able to screw him over like this"

"Wh--what are you saying? I love you"

Both she and Giovanni laughed simultaneously, his confusion and emotions a great source of amusement for those looking on. She turned around and faced the former leader again, seeing the timing as perfect to unleash her trump card.

"I can't see what you find so amusing, I really can't. You're locked here with the same fate here as he does, you've less to wear, you're dead as far as everyone thinks and I'm not done with you yet. Did you think you could rape that slut instead of having me and get away with it? Did you think I wouldn't exact revenge like millions of others before me haven't? Well, I'm not everyone else and for the first time you're someone else's pawn. You're mine"

Before continuing any further, she returned her attention to the younger male and lifted his head up before smashing it heavily against the table to render him unconscious but not with enough force to kill him. A quick smirk at the injured comrade was enough to make Giovanni moisten himself in fear, knowing the woman in front of him personified the uneasiness he'd felt, knowing his needless-looking worries about her in the past were now not even a fraction of what they deserved to be. He swallowed, waiting for whatever torment she had in mind.

James looked all around him and realised that while he was not lost, he could not see his wife anymore. His leg had considerably weakened when he'd started sprinting and he'd stumbled, successfully losing sight of her. He was incredibly worried, as the only reason he wasn't lost was because he'd spent a lot of years working in this area, and he felt vulnerable standing without anything clear in mind with regards her whereabouts. He hated himself for forgetting about the marriage certificate when he'd only been thinking about it a few days ago in nostalgia over his supposed deceased fiancée. He felt like little more than a marionette, constantly on strings which the puppeteer cut and swung at their whim. He touched his arm absently; it was still tender from when du Paor had inserted a needle into it, which he'd ripped out himself and seemingly forgotten what considerable damage it would do to the vein in which it lay. Matters weren't helped by du Paor cutting a line along the area to cause pain and weaken his victim as he knew it would.

He felt sore, abused and pathetically feeble when he considered he'd chosen to revert back to drugs, which had inadvertently appeared from the hands of the man he hated most on this planet, only to become the white trash he'd always been called in that job. He hated himself marginally less for allowing the sodomy to occur, never wanting to suffer that humiliation from being threatened with it so much in his past, always the prime choice for some of the open homosexuals because of his slightly effeminate looks. Were it not for a passing comment as teenagers where Jessie said she liked his appearance and for him not to change a thing, he would have altered it as greatly as was in his power to do so to prevent history from repeating. He wondered what else was due to come his way as he didn't see how life could possibly get worse. If he'd possessed his aunt's skill of premonitions, he would have seen that what had happened was but the merest tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Violet wandered around Sunset City in an introspective disposition, wondering what she could have possibly done to James that he didn't feel like marrying her but he was willing to do it with someone he'd hardly been going out with. How could he choose her when they'd gone out for a few years not months? Seeing him again had stirred up a lot of mixed emotions and memories which she'd hidden away for months on end, another part of everyday life as far as she was concerned. She'd taken him in when he told her all about his murky past—his present at the time—and loved him unconditionally. She'd shared everything with him, her thoughts her food and even her bed, though not in the strictest sense. They'd been fooling around one night, their coordination a little off but he pulled out again as soon as he accidentally entered her—neither had contraception and he hadn't meant to split her hymen, so they left it to resume at a time they thought was correct. It never came, though there was another incident when they were drunk (and she suspected he may have been high as it was an evening after he made the long journey from Viridian to Cerulean City). She didn't remember much about it, the only real proof she had was the sticky feeling she had when she awoke, and because she never brought it up out of embarrassment at not remembering it, she never knew whether he did or not. Either way, she'd try to hold a special moment infused in her head but it became foggier the further away from it she travelled with respect to time.

She knew he wasn't the confused adolescent she'd first met, as horrific proof of seeing him witness his wife's miscarriage had shown her, how he'd tried to keep a calm head and try to face the possibility that neither the baby nor mother would make it. The scenario had utterly unnerved her yet she admired his courage and felt open sorrow towards him when she learnt his efforts had been in vain. She was a firm believer in the concept that if she'd been born twelve seconds later, would her life be any different? Many a time she'd contemplated what would happen if she acted sooner or later with different situations, and she wondered if she'd forgotten about proposing to him until a few months later, would he still be with her, and would he have acted nicer if he left? She sighed as the ground crunched underneath her feet, the pebbles causing discomfort whenever her leather soles skidded on them. She glanced around her and knew within her soul that she would never see him again, as he'd left without a word just like last time, but she knew it would be forever. The bitter wind chilled her.

Meowth found Butch as it neared five o' clock, squatting in an alleyway, babbling what could only be described as utter nonsense to the pokémon. He tried to gain his concentration but was unsuccessful, and he really worried about the mental state of his friend. He caught half-sentences and a few words here and there, and assumed it was something to do with the ditto, but then again the damage done to his body that morning may have added to his confusion. The scent of Cassidy about him was overwhelming, which made the cat-type worry as it had never been that strong before, especially since he'd automatically assumed the creature had died when it blew the chassis up. His hackles involuntarily stood erect, making him nervous and swimming in guilt as he considered it was his fault it happened, just like all the terrible things that had happened since he'd been resuscitated. Why couldn't they leave him in a coma to die in due time? Everyone else's lives would surely be better without him interfering in it, especially his former partners'—they'd still be looking forward to the birth of their first child, perhaps the first of a few. Why why why why why?

James eventually gave up his hunt and reluctantly returned to The Silver Bullet to see if his wife had returned there, praying she was okay but at the same time fraught with anxiety and tension in case he never laid eyes on her live body again. He tried his best to shake off those negative thoughts, but it was difficult to do that when his stomach was filled with a deep sense of foreboding which he couldn't justify or ignore. He walked through the partition into the staff's lounge, spying Elora smoking on the couch. She obviously didn't hear his stealthy entrance as he walked behind her without so much as her neck tensing at another person's presence. He reached out and grabbed the wrist which held the cigarette and twisted it so she burnt her shoulder. She released a sound of pain and moved to stand up as she dropped the item, which he carefully picked up and examined to see if it was a normal one before finishing the rest of it. As he stubbed it out in the ashtray resting on her stomach, he forced her off the couch and ordered she went to her bedroom. She knew better than to cause a commotion and walked dejectedly up the stairs with him in tow, knowing it would be incredibly different from the last time they'd done that.

He threw her on the bed and pinioned her, nothing to show even the merest hint of desire in his motions. Fear was evident in her eyes and he felt no guilt, not after the way she'd knowingly set him up the night before to be the person he most hated's sex toy. Venting his anger to its most extreme wouldn't be enough punishment for what she deserved. He noticed the skin around his hands were now a startling white as the blood flow ceased, but it didn't phase him in the slightest even though his nature saw hurting women as wrong. But she wasn't a woman, she was evil. He adjusted his position so his weight was pressing into her stomach, forcing her to lurch upright to combat the pressure. He grabbed the back of her neck easily and she stared at his scarring along his neck, not having noticed it as that severe in the past, feeling ashamed and haunted when she realised what she was really like as a person. He didn't raise his voice at all but when he said in a smooth tone that she was to tell him everything she knew, there was nothing she could do but nod mutely, knowing the situation was as dangerous as she feared. A slight smirk across his lips informed her he was aware of it too.

Lindsey unfolded a piece of paper in front of the terrified male, enjoying the look of near-hysteria in his eyes. She leant down to catch his eyes directly, wanting to savour every moment at its most maximum, and when she was done with her twisted foreplay, she showed it to him and began to explain her plan to him.

"All the times we lay together, you were afraid of me. This is proof that you were right all along, though you weren't sure why. Cutting my wrist and sleeping with me against my will was the worst mistakes you could have possibly made, as now you face my wrath. Fuelled by bitterness, hatred and fury, you deserve much worse than this, but when this is through, there's more to come your way. A quick easy death will not be yours in any circumstances. This is a grant of probate, which activated the will I made out in your name when the computers were back on track momentarily, forging your signature excellently as you've had me do in the past many times. You died and left everything to me. As far as the workers know, there's nothing to prove otherwise as they saw James head in quite angrily, a few strangled cries and then left the area in pursuit of him in case he entered through some of the lesser known entrances. It was then we dragged you down here, the blood cleaned up by one of the pokémon you modified to drink blood, later killed in case it rebelled as others have done in the past. This is my company now, completely above board as far as an illegal corporation goes. Everyone knows we were linked together over the last couple of weeks, so it's not that difficult to pull off. Nothing is more than you'll ever be worth. Nobody will grieve your death; they'll celebrate. My regime will be more difficult but I know how to work them, whereas you never did because you never worked below leader I did for a few years. You'll regret running this place and crossing me, especially when you figure out you're going to be a subject for medical testing, as lackeys have been for you in the past. Maybe next time you wake up, you won't be as you are now. In any event you won't be alive as such ever again"

She departed from the laboratory; leaving him the bitter proclivity of perpetual imprisonment. He barely recognised this cell and knew it was one abandoned many years ago, and with it being sound-proofed as standard, he knew screaming for help was futile, but he tried it anyway. He declined slumber's invitation, aware he couldn't stay awake ceaselessly. He knew reducing her to secretary instead of killing her was a mistake, but knowing where his crucial error lay was meaningless when he was unable to turn back the clock to do that scene over. He was less than nothing, just as she drummed into him, unable to think of a single person that could see through her crafty lies to save him from this hell.

James' mother decided to linger in the city for a while, to see if anything could occur for her to confine her to the area to avoid returning to her house straight away, and so remained in the tallest hotel in the city. It wasn't that much of a distance to travel, but she just needed an excuse to put it off for as long as possible without it looking obvious to anyone else. She sipped first class tea from a fragile porcelain cup, overlooking a grand panorama of the bustling city, able to see just about everything from the poorest area to the richest where she presently was, and as far as the river at the edge of the intimidating forest. Something chilled her and she knew it didn't originate from the cold atmosphere; she felt as if persons unknown all around her were considering ominous machinations, yet no eyes rested on her in the vicinity. Her paranoia-spawned sense was either out of service or perhaps she wasn't to be the intended victim, or else it was just her guilt crawling through her nerves from all her past assassinations. She tried to act as if everything was exactly as it should be, but her manservant knew something was upsetting her, seeing the faint tell-tale signs he'd identified a few years into her service. He knew better than to ask her what was wrong, knowing weakness of any description was loathsome in her eyes and was not willing to be found the latest victim of her untraceable wrath. She tried her hardest to shake the repulsive feeling away from her body, yet it swarmed the air until she felt nausea with worry—a characteristic never associated with her, praying it would pass before she returned and her flaw became perceptible to all. Instead of diminution, it worsened increasingly with each transitory minute; its derivation unknown to her yet trepidation assaulted her soul mercilessly.

Meowth watched sadly as the shell of a human sat in a foetal position on a hotel bed (convincing the owners single-handedly why they should allow such strange guests had not been easy for the pokémon) and wondered what had happened to make his sanity a forgotten thing of the past. Part of him wondered why it hadn't struck sooner, when he considered everything the male had faced in his young life, but he knew it was ultimately his fault. If Cassidy hadn't been his victim—which he'd never intended to happen as the drugs had taken full control of him upon awakening—the ditto would never have been involved and neither of them would be left picking up the fragile pieces as they were now. He doubted if Butch knew what day of the week it was, and the words spilling in his confused state made it evident he thought Cassidy to still be alive, or else he truly believed he could see her somehow. The situation was clearly so tragic, yet nothing was willing to give either even the slightest break, and the strong scent was sounding alarm bells in Meowth's head since he hadn't been that strongly doused in the aroma when they sat in the beer garden. He prayed that if the pokémon was still out there somewhere, it would choose to end its torment, though his raised hackles made him feel uneasy, and he knew the battle was bitter but not quite through yet.

The Silver Bullet, 20:00 hours…

James sat in the workers' lounge, smoking a cigarette to calculatingly aggravate his throat. He hated his presence there as he'd wrenched every sordid detail possible from Elora, who worked steadily in the bar to avoid him, ignoring her breaks for the first time since she'd owned the establishment. He felt so incensed yet there was little he could do, seeing as he couldn't turn back the clock and he wasn't sure how his life could possibly get any worse. She'd planned his torment long before it happened apparently, receiving the cocaine hours in advance, and the friend she knew running the Serpentine Seductress was a person he'd worked with regularly in the past. It seemed no matter the distance between then and now was always going to be irrelevant, and he suddenly wished he'd never left home and come clean with Jessie long ago. Now he didn't know where she was or who she was with, and it worried the hell out of him. As he willed to hear from her, the phone rang unexpectedly and jolted him from his reveries. After four rings and still no sign of someone coming to answer it, he stood up and walked to the device besides the entrance to the bar. He didn't even attempt to hide his resentment for his predicament so he thought sabotaging the tavern's clientele might help his ill mood.

"Sluts central, need a fix?"

"Funny you should say that, I've got someone here you might be interested in hiring. Her body's not the best, but what do you expect when she's some white trash's little plaything?"

His blood ran cold as he instantly identified the voice as his ex-dealer, and he knew immediately who he referred to. He shook as he knew that his ideas of hearing from her should include her safety, which was obviously not a factor as he knew from the sobbing in the background. The butt of the cigarette burned his fingers and he flicked it away, sucking the skin momentarily as he needed to plan this carefully—one wrong move and they were both dead. He heard a strangled scream of hers and he literally turned grey with shock, and he knew he was possibly too late to save her. As she whimpered next to the voice piece, he heard his instructions to return to a certain place in five minutes, and any later than that he'd find a corpse. He knew of two places implied, but he only had time to try one of them in the span of time allowed. It was either the alley he'd grown up in or the place where he used to hand over women and receive drugs to sell, both easily reached from there, but the gap between them made it a difficult choice to make, as if he called the wrong place, he'd lose his soulmate forever. He thought frantically, bursting into activity when he heard du Paor saying he'd wasted a minute and a half already. He sped out the main exit, alarming the punters and staff alike, but he didn't care about what they thought. The only thing he cared about was in grave danger, and he followed where his heart was telling him where she was at the moment. He sped towards the alley in spite of the excruciating ache ripping up his leg, afraid to acknowledge its cries to slow down as he knew his time—and hers—was running out rapidly. When he got there, despair flooded him; the place was deserted.

Meowth stalked the streets; he'd sat looking out of the window when he got a blast of Cassidy's scent, so overwhelming he couldn't think for a few minutes until the shock of it all dissolved. He'd checked Butch was secure and unable to leave in his present mental state before hunting the creature, knowing that if they got anywhere near his friend again he'd lose more than his sanity. There was no apparent source of the scent as he followed it, and as strong as it was, he knew it wasn't slowing down or speeding up, as it wasn't getting stronger or weaker in the dismal weather. He traced it along steadily, and eventually it became too diluted for him to work out where it went for a moment. He heard a cry of pain, and when he sought to investigate it, he noticed a young meowth squealing on the ground as an angry-looking persian toyed with it. He saw the danger in the situation and launched a surprise attack on the evolved pokémon, clawing at it viciously until he felt his anger was vented and for an excusable reason. He knew that had he not stopped, the older creature would have made sure its victims were dead, unable to allow such a disrespectful attitude to go unpunished. When he ensured the Persian was dead, he turned to the kitten and gasped when he saw it—it was his ex-girlfriend Meowsie.

The kitten walked over to him and nuzzled him affectionately, before unsheathing its claws and launching a vicious attack on him. At first he thought it was a minor lover's tiff between them he'd mistaken as something more serious, but when he recovered from the unexpected attack he identified the scent as the one he'd hunted. The whole scenario had been a set-up, where the ditto obviously researched his past to throw him off his guard even more. To his dismay, he saw a duplicate creature approaching from his left, and the 'dead' persian rose from behind him, hardly giving him any time to create a strategy as they resumed their natural shapes. He understood why Butch was in his present state; the situation was similar to something from a horror movie and he felt his own mind slipping from his control. He tapped into the fury that had resulted in Cassidy's death, and he didn't stop until he felt certain the creatures were dead and his senses returned to normal. He caught the scent of something else in the air and followed it when he was finished—it wasn't often he smelt his friend's blood permeating the air with its salty taste.

Hopkins found it tiresomely difficult to sleep. His mistress had retired half an hour previously to that, and he usually took whatever chance for slumber he received, knowing with his job he must always be efficient and to be tired was to be unprofessional. It was for this reason he'd never had a proper girlfriend—he'd hardly had a proper kiss. He knew he wanted to maintain his father's work and perform with the pride and dedication his father had applied until his death. He refused to partake in any typical teenage activities such as smoking, drinking, whoring and brawling in case it marred his record for future purposes, so he had no true friends, certainly no acquaintances outside of his place of work. He looked out at the view of the city, illuminated by the dying sunset and the neon street lighting simultaneously, the clouds rain-bearing and occasionally they spilt their contents out onto the world below. He knew something was bothering her, but to impose a question regarding her health would be most inappropriate, and his job came before friendship, no exceptions. He sighed heavily, wishing the life he led was simpler than it was at times, all the deceit and often the whole illegality in a high-class family was a bit too much for him to cope with, especially when he'd taken half an hour off in all the years he'd worked there. He'd felt guilty about it ever since as it was the minimum time he was able to hold a funeral and burial for his father with when in his eyes he should have ignored the procession and carried out his duty as he knew everyone expected him to do. Something caught his eye and he noted it as peculiar and immediately sought his mistress to inform her of it, even though he'd never disturbed her intentionally in the past before. He considered this as he knocked on the door; he became furious that he allowed his work to slip so badly as it was presently doing.

James walked down the alleyway, willing the welling tears not to fall even though he couldn't see a sign of his wife. He could never live with himself if his stupidity was the cause of her death, so he wanted to certify this place was empty before he tried anything else. He felt hollow as haunting memories attacked his thoughts of everything he'd done there without remorse, from dabbling with drugs to full-blown addiction where he lured virgins there to save his own skin. He hated what he became, and it was these memories that made him reject even pharmaceutical drugs for a long time. He loathed breaking the abstinence the night before; making his presence known was not a smart move, especially when his wife was still recovering from a forced miscarriage from the creators of evil within the city. His shoulder throbbed from where his mother had struck the knife in it, and he was vaguely aware that it had started bleeding again. His blood dripping along this stretch of concrete was again nothing new, and he was used to losing a lot more than this in the past. He still needed to exact revenge for those responsible for slicing him open with the intentions of leaving him to die, but he knew that he'd never pull it off. There was one of him, greatly hindered with plenty of lacerations gathered over his life, and an army of narcotics, who would probably be supplied with a month's supply of drugs in reward for their deeds. He didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell, and as he reached the end of the unoccupied alley, he clenched his fists and almost succumbed to his depression when he suddenly stiffened as he felt he wasn't alone. Then, a noise came from his right, and a phone rang.

He spun around, the loathing fuelling his determination to succeed in this, and noticed something different about the area; a wall was there that hadn't been in existence when he'd lived in that stretch and it didn't look as solid as the others. He warily put his hand against it, and it swung open to reveal a miniature warehouse of sorts, prostitutes clearly using this as a make-shift brothel as well as a storage area for illegal items gained by equally unlawful means. It seemed the place was created to throw the law off its tracks, as it was only a few metres away from a busy street and yet it was concealed well enough so only a person that knew the place as well as James did would know if something hadn't always been there, no matter how cleverly disguised it may be. He knew people were watching him, yet he saw nobody in the ill-lit room, not taking the time to examine his surroundings as if he stopped to watch a place for long enough, his back would be exposed to welcome an attack. When he reached the wall furthest from the entrance, the door slammed shut and the room became harshly illuminated as someone flooded the room with bright lighting. He caught sight of his wife, and immediately wished he hadn't.

Sunset City, 04:20 hours…

Special Agent Pryer was flicking through criminal records, to certify she was gathering the correct information before passing it onwards to the police department in Viridian. She'd ended a date with her husband Darien early hours earlier when a comrade alerted her to something they'd picked up from the transmission on James' leg. She regretted accusing him of having anything to do with his child's demise, but she'd received a lot of valuable information on four people they'd tried pinning things on for years but were previously unsuccessful. They couldn't find the fifth one at all, and by the time someone had reported he'd been actively committing drug-fuelled crimes including sodomy with an unwilling victim, he'd already vanished. She took it on herself to hear anything else relating to him, regardless of the hour of the night or what she attended; this criminal had escaped the forces' grasp for too long. As soon as she had every piece of information James had given her about a certain Henry du Paor, she'd send the co-ordinations to Viridian police station and nail him at long last. He was not about to evade their grasp again.

She came across something on the tapes that scared her immediately, and without a second thought she reached for the phone. She pressed the extension number for the person with her exact job across the country and waited for the call to transfer through, knowing they were a few hours behind in time. It was approximately a few minutes after the twentieth hour in the city, and were it not for the distance she'd have travelled there herself. She passed on all relevant information when the agent finally picked the phone up. She talked to the agent casually, as just like all officers were inter-related one way or another; she was related to the other special agents in the Intelligence sectors. This person was actually her younger sister, zippier than the average worker as she was fairly new to that line of work. Sarah's attitude was hard for her to listen to as it approached five o' clock in the morning, yet it was pleasant to hear an enthusiastic worker when usually everyone just wanted to clock out as soon as they'd commenced their respective shifts. When the phone call was over, she took her sister's advice and arranged to travel to the area in question via helicopter. The 212 Blackbird wasn't the fastest in the world anymore, but when it was the only aircraft in their possession at present, she had to make do with what was there. If she arrived too late to be a part of the squad raiding the area, she could at least partake in the questioning, have a relaxing break away from the office and more importantly, from her husband and his embarrassing friends.

Viridian City, 20:12 hours…

James really wished he could have seen Jessie in more desirable circumstances, away from the present grave situation they were now in. Were it not for the fear across her face, the audience, or mainly the blood seeping from her cuts he may have been slightly aroused. With all of those factors present, and since he didn't know how long she was there to be other people's sex toys, it was thoroughly disgusting for him. She was manacled against the back wall, the iron cuffs cutting her delicate skin and tears spilled freely from her eyes. The fact she was completely naked was irrelevant as protruding from her neck was a syringe with a clear substance in it, and he knew it could be anything from water to battery acid. He wanted to rip it out but he knew he'd risk more damage to both of them if he did. He felt deep regret when he didn't respond the way her pleading eyes begged him to, as her mouth was gagged and she was unable to utter a sound. Blood dripped between her legs and she tried to cross them, but the manacles were at such a height it was impossible to do it for long unless she wanted to lose power in her arms and make her weaker and susceptible to more sexual assaults. He turned around and faced the person responsible for all of this as he approached almost silently, James' instincts as a thief kicking in where he would have fallen victim to an unfair punch, but at least this way he expected it and protected himself sufficiently.

"You made it with thirty seconds to spare. But then again, I never said I wouldn't kill her when you get here, nor did I guarantee your safety"

"I knew you too well to be that gullible. I can't see why you're even interested in this game. Didn't you tire of it when you sliced me up?"

"Far from it; you're a stupid piece of white trash if you believe that. That was the tip of the iceberg, as the cops cut short my fun. I was glad to see you weren't stupid enough to spill your story to them, but the whore you stayed with was quite a catch"

"She wasn't a whore"

"She looked like one, and she acted like one, didn't you have the manners to pay the bitch?"

"I never slept with her"

"Are you saying you're too chicken to do anything like that? Rumour has it that it wasn't your kid I helped to kill"

"I'm not a family-fucker like you are, and if you think you can get me to go for you by bragging about killing my daughter, think again. I know all about your usual tricks, the dagger in your hand waiting for you to thrust it into my stomach. I've seen it in the past; you'll need something else to catch me out"

"If that's true then you must've wanted me to thrust something else into you"

"She knows if you're just saying this for my wife's sake. She knows I was high, with another woman. She knows how appalling your performances are as well, as she's told me a few tales about you. She knows you only get drugs for other people to sell, for you to take their money and women as you've always done. It's the only way someone would bed you. She doesn't need to tell me how pathetic you are; everyone here knows that"

A sharp punch across James' face would have been enough to shut him up in the past, but he was used to the other male and so spat out the broken tooth, ignored the blood that started to flow from his serrated molar and readied himself for the rancorous encounter that was certain to follow. Unfortunately, his guard was up so much for the person standing in front of him, he reacted too slowly to the two people behind him, one of which stabbed a knife into his lower back, barely missing his left kidney. The shock of it was enough to stun his system momentarily, which was all the flunkies needed to fix him against the wall alongside his wife, but not near enough to touch her.

Meowth made it around the corner and noticed the dilemma his friends were in; thoughts whirring around his head provided little inspiration as to how he'd release them unnoticed when all attention in the area was focused on them. Behind him, three dittos silently slid up behind him, holding him down as he made to make a noise. They used telepathy to communicate with him so they wouldn't be noticed, melding together traits of many different pokémon in whatever form they wished as was their ability. He sensed their anger against him, but he also felt their hatred towards the person destroying the couple's lives. For their assistance, he traded something he wished he didn't have to, but he felt it was the least he could do to help them. He just prayed they knew the sacrifice he was obliged to make on their behalf, and let them finally know he was sorry for his actions and wished to be on good terms with them as opposed to ignored and hated. Part of his soul knew they'd never notice it at all.

One of the dittos transformed into Matt the bartender, as from their working with Meowth they knew who was likely to be involved in the operation, and a second turned into Elora. The third changed into a perfect camouflage shield, which hid Meowth as they moved towards the chained couple, just in case the distraction wasn't enough to grab everyone's attention. As they approached James who was squatting against the wall since his aggressors knew it would pain him more than a simple stretch; the ditto elongated itself and pressed a paw into his mouth, healing the bleeding broken tooth. He involuntarily bit down hard and cut into the invisible force, but the ditto didn't cry out. It retracted its limb and healed itself, pulling its body back long enough for the human to see the feline at his feet, signalling for silence. He looked away; not wanting to let the other people present see he was focusing on the ground in case they figured out something was there that shouldn't be. The creature healed the cut on his back which brought instant relief to the male, but the thick clotting blood remained in his clothes, otherwise it would appear too suspicious if it was clean should anyone stand behind him. Meowth attempted to pick the locks silently but it made too much noise, which James instantly covered up by pretending to attempt breaking them, hoping it would pay off. It did, but he received a heavy kick to the ribs in payment, winding him as he heard the dangerous creaks of his bones, showing they were possibly fragments by this stage. The creature only partially healed them, not wanting him to appear fine should they examine him a bit closer in the moments to come. The ditto then eased the cuffs apart noiselessly, using a telekinetic force to do bend them silently, and then when it was done, the intruders moved onto Jessie.

James had known to stay quiet instinctively; Jessie did not. It was just as well the gag muffled most sounds she made otherwise her squeal of shock as something brushed against her leg would have attracted attention to herself. She jolted sharply as something ran between her legs, though she half-noted her pain from the miscarriage was vanishing, and it felt like the torturous experiences she'd already suffered that night hadn't occurred. She hated feeling something on her skin, but it was like the wind, as it was an invisible force making its presence known. She caught James' eyes and he barely moved his head but she knew he was signalling for her silence, which she performed with utter frustration. She didn't know what was doing it when he obviously did, but she wasn't about to destroy their chance for escape through her typical moods. He needed her strong, and no matter how much she felt revolted by him earlier, she didn't want to lose the chance of being with him forever, especially in their present predicament. The sting vanished from her arms of being upright for a while, but they didn't release her; they knew she'd stagger forwards involuntarily, which would blow their whole procedure.

In an unexpected manoeuvre, she was suddenly dragged forwards, and it was only the strength of the dittos that stopped her from giving away their escape route. Du Paor ripped the strip of tape off her mouth to make her scream then backhanded her sharply to enjoy her pain as much as James' fury. It took all of the younger male's willpower not to leap up and beat him up, to vent the total anger that had grown relentlessly since his near-death experience all those years ago. He nearly re-cracked his teeth from gritting them so hard as he watched the junkie grope his wife shamelessly. Finally, he felt like he could take it no more, and against his assistants' wishes, chose to make his move. A move he'd almost instantly regret doing.

James' mother became irate by her butler's apologetic air; he'd expressed words to explain rousing her from her chambers which he'd never done before, and his timid manner was something that set her on edge for an inexplicable reason. Her sense of uneasiness had heightened at his calling, and when she examined the vista of the vast city, she understood it all in perfect clarity. She could see the situation her only son was in, seemingly helpless, and it was all because of the woman he claimed to love. He'd stung her terribly with his words earlier, but there was nothing she could do to erase the clock, but perhaps she could reconcile the situation by assisting him one final time before sacrificing her beliefs to allow him the independence he sought for so long. She opened the window to its full extent and waited for her manservant to pass her the cold weapon in his hands, fully loaded with the trigger on, just in case he injured his mistress in passing it to her. She focused through the scope, adjusting its telescopic abilities to enhance her vision of the dark area of the city, tracing the thin beam until she could see it was clearly on du Paor's skull. She lowered the beam slightly, knowing it was her son's desire to eradicate this man, and if she was to begin acting in a manner that would help him live the way he wanted, she would immediately respect his wishes. To infuriate her further, her target stepped behind her whore-in-law and as tempted as she was to pull the trigger, she refrained from it for the moment. Were she born of lower class, she would have cursed most foully at this point. As she was not, she simply chose to glare at the monster torturing her son, wishing sourly that looks could kill.

Team Rocket Headquarters, 20:59 hrs…

Lindsey paced around the office that denoted she was head of the corporation, feeling completely at ease and yet something was niggling at the back of her mind. She shrugged it away, not wishing for a conscience to come into play just when she was building a life for herself. She almost felt guilty when she considered how she'd gained her title, yet she felt it was reasonable when placed against the years of humiliation she'd suffered after her attempted coup d'état with Tyra. Poor Tyra, she thought. She'd never achieved her goals in her life, and she would die a failure it would seem. She had no idea the girl was already dead as the computers had been down since before her death, and her attention had been forcefully focused on the grisly matter of Jessie's miscarriage then. Lindsey had cleansed the private quarters thoroughly, not wanting to sleep anywhere that reminded her of her ill means of achieving her power. She had no desire to sleep on bloodied sheets either, as decorated by Jessie's body when she stayed there. The apprehension had grown in the building, as the workers knew foul play was the cause for Giovanni's death, and for someone to be able to pull it off must be an even more fearsome individual again. They were unaware of their former leader's constant screams for aid in the dungeons below, but if anyone had detected them, would they have felt obliged to help him, after his regime of terror?

She examined the contents of his bedside locker meticulously, not wishing to miss a vital clue that would suggest more ammunition to throw at him in future testing sections. There were letters from his childhood, and the more she read of them, the more she realised reviving his mother would be a wise choice—she obviously despised him more than anyone else on the planet, which she wouldn't have believed possible before reading the letters. She also discovered a cracked black leather-bound journal, which she also chose to pore over. The entrants varied dramatically from the totals of each rare pokémon submitted by each worker, to the more twisted side of matters of having photographs of each woman he'd slept with, mainly bruised and weeping, and then he'd chosen to mark their attributes and techniques as he saw fit. Curiously, whereas Jessie's had mainly long-winded insipid passages denoting what a disappointment she was, her own entry was more unusual. There was her registration picture taken years ago instead of one of her in bed, and the writing around it was pure gibberish, with odd words giving her the hint that she was an evil temptress destined to steal his mind and belongings from him. In the end, it appeared that much was true, she mused. She noticed a reference to a secret file hidden from the main server unless certain precautions were taken, and she cursed she hadn't attempted to fix the machines yet. Her curiosity went into overload, so she sat in front of the computer and almost immediately cut along the seam of the coding; her attention had been attracted by a glaring error James had left, showing her the code when certain co-ordinations were used. Unfortunately for her, although she could do what she willed with the computer in Giovanni's office, the data held in the terminal server deleted itself piece by piece, undetected. The visible coding was programmed to come up after a designated amount of time, as it would trigger the eradication of every file imaginable. She failed to notice the damage occurring, as she forgot about the page she wished to locate upon discovering what was taking place in a different part of the city. She felt iced to the bone, a feat not easily accomplished.

Viridian City Police Station, 21:05 hrs…

The helicopter touched down with a little turbulence, the bitterly cold wind altering the motions of the blades slightly. Special Agent Pryer stepped down, her long hair whipped back by natural and mechanical force simultaneously. She folded her long coat over her body to maintain some degree of warmth and strode the familiar path to the door to the main building at the near side of the rooftop. She fingered her key for a moment before placing it in the lock, thinking profoundly for a second about what mattered to her in her life, and what was irrelevant. She was touched particularly strongly with her present case, as she was currently bearing her husband's first child. Not even her darling little sister knew that, as she wanted to keep it hidden until the vital first three months passed. She'd miscarried in her early twenties, and had broken her heart open by planning its future, telling all of her family her good news. She was still receiving cards denoting family members' wishes of congratulations two weeks after she'd given birth from those who lived in distant parts of the globe. The pain never truly left her, and it was because of this she started feeling distant from her husband, as if she blamed him for caring about his friends more than he did about her and her child. She prayed this pregnancy would change things, as she wanted more than anything to return to their youthful phase of love, but life hardened both their hearts. Pushing Darien aside from her thoughts, she continued along the path that would lead her to the intelligence quarters.

She'd barely opened the door to the office she required when Sarah had glomped her, revealing her delight at seeing her big sister after so long, regardless of the fact they'd met last month and spoke on the phone daily. She gushed out details of her present boyfriend, Maxfield, and when she produced a picture of the man in question, the other woman couldn't help but think that he looked effeminate with his long curly brown hair, twin earrings and obviously plucked eyebrows. Minutes later, the pair were kitted out in full bullet-proof body armour, and with their designated dispatch team, they resumed their jobs. Louise found it difficult to stay awake, as it was nearly eight o' clock in her time, where she should be long in bed to revitalise her for her next shift. Absently, she rested a hand on her stomach as they travelled in normal but armoured cars to mask their entrance, as lookouts were certain to be hired. This was potentially the arrest of the century, and any mistake was unforgivable. Foreboding was the feeling in the tense atmosphere, almost suffocating each passenger, even though they'd been in scenarios such of this but of greater magnitude in the past. Somehow, this was about to alter their lives, yet nobody knew why as the innocents involved were not known personally by any of them to an extent that their demise would be noteworthy. And yet the sensation lingered.

James wondered how he could have lacked sense long enough for him to place both their lives in such a dangerous position. He'd sprung at the dark-skinned man and attempted to wrestle the gun and the trademark syringe-shaped dagger around his neck, and failed miserably. The gun was now pressed against Jessie's throat with the safety catch disabled; the trigger creaked ominously as du Paor applied more pressure to it. The dagger was nestling comfortably on the back of James' neck, with Matt acting ever vigilant with his Uzi pressed into the other male's abdomen. The barrel of the gun was angled in such a way that if it did not kill him straight away, the bullet would career south and rupture as much of James' viscera as possible. He knew that even the slightest movement would cancel his and his wife's lives, yet he couldn't bear to stand there and watch her being molested as she was. There were countless flunkies blending into the shadows, making escape look improbable in spite of those offering him support. The sight of Elora walking around in her scanty uniform sickened James further, all the times in the past where he'd felt highly annoyed at something or someone added together was nowhere near the level of fury building up within him now. His shadowy past clouded his present and could possibly obliterate any chance of a future with his wife. He'd never hated himself more than he did now either, but that hatred wasn't even a bare scratch on the abhorrence he felt towards the man causing this.

He forced himself to look away and blank his ears as best he could from the sound of his wife's body becoming a victim for the countless time that night. He wanted to make another move but he knew he'd be incapable of doing anything other than ordering their deaths. He'd never enjoyed being near the ravaging of the girls he'd brought back, and it was especially hard to hear his wife's screams of agony. For the first time since it happened, he was glad she was no longer pregnant, as if she had been, he could guarantee she'd have been a victim of a forced abortion by this stage. Jessie struggled to get away from her attacker but from her chained position, it wasn't the simplest motion to do when she had about a square foot of ground to move in before the position would break her arms. She was careful not to accidentally strike his arms either as she saw the gun was loaded and his finger was hugging the trigger dangerously. She couldn't allow him to destroy her marriage when she'd irrationally said she wanted nothing to do with James earlier, something she knew now was a foolish thing to say. Had she not fled without paying attention to her direction, she wouldn't be in this situation now. She felt horrible causing it all, and she knew he must hate her for this. He obviously cared about her to come and try to get her out of it in spite of her heated row with him, but she knew he really didn't do anything to deserve watching this. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, feeling too ashamed to look towards the man she loved, feeling too cheap and worthless to apologise in a way other than her constant crying. She'd run away from him thinking he'd slept with his aunt, but thinking about his tone when he'd said it to his mother, she correctly recognised it as something said for a verbal weapon only. She wished she'd figured it out sooner, just like she wished she'd never slept in Team Rocket Headquarters when she required shelter.

Elora, willing to get one over the couple for their union against her, chose to adopt James as her plaything. He ignored her unfastening his clothing and biting him to vent her sexual frustration, she couldn't make him hurt more than he already was inside. He felt something at his feet other than the woman, and noticed the feline scratching his right foot. Something had occurred to the cat-type which might turn events in their favour, if only he could remember its location exactly. James involuntarily released a sharp intake of breath as a claw pierced his skin as it was unexpected, but it was taken for granted it was because of the woman's biting, as blood dripped along her chin and splashed on the ground. A ditto camouflaged the pokémon from sight to all but their subject as the creature continued his work, and when Meowth prised something free, the ball was no longer in du Paor's court.

Team Rocket Headquarters, 21:25hrs…

Lindsey held her breath. The atmosphere was incredibly tense in her office, purely because she was watching the scenario unfold and the camera was now in a feline paw. The virus continued to eat away at the files but she certainly had no idea it occurred, her mind too occupied with the life-or-death situation on the computer screen. She saw her prototype camera's reflection in the cat-type's eyes, and she willed him to bend back any but the leg pointing east, since he was clearly trying to find out which one would cause the explosion. There was a bare-blue dash running down the line of the one which could be bent back without detonation and she hoped the pokémon's sharp line of vision would detect it. She squeezed the edge of the desk to vent her tension, and wished she'd integrated a communication system into it so she could quietly hint at which to snap. When she'd designed the archetype she'd deliberately omitted that option as she knew if she was to ever have the misfortune of being bugged by her boss, she didn't want to hear his lecherous thoughts when she was getting changed for bed each night.

She noted a mark of decision glimmer in his eyes, and she became afraid to blink as she watched his other paw stretch downwards painfully slowly. Her heartbeat thundered loudly in her ears, each second seeming to last years—even though she'd never been overly close to the trio, there had been a charm to them that made her sympathise with their poor backgrounds. She screamed at the computer in anguish, not because she knew he'd picked the wrong leg—she didn't know what one he'd chosen as the final file to be deleted was the one she used then. She desperately needed to know the outcome of the selection but she was denied that right as the virus completed its work by leaving a nasty message on the screen, intended for Giovanni by the content of it. She tried to regain the signal on the laptop she'd used when they travelled across the country to the hospital, but that had also fallen victim to James' work on the computer as to an extent it was on the network. She prayed for their safety out loud, not wanting any harm to befall them now as for the first time they need not fear Team Rocket-related assaults on their persons, she wouldn't wish to exact revenge on James even after him physically harming her. A shiver ran up her back, not from chill in origin, and she felt fear like nothing before, although her life was unaffected by it. Yet something made her feel perturbed without a shred of remorse, and it was her not knowing what it was that increased it tenfold.

Meowth was intensely petrified of moving. He couldn't throw the device whilst his target stood behind Jessie lest he injured her in the explosion, and if his grip in any way lessened then he risked killing everyone around him if it collided with another surface. The idea of using the device had appeared when he thought about how sorry he was for working with Giovanni against them, and it sparked a memory of James' one-night stand with Tyra where she'd planted the camera on him. Perspiration stuck to his fur and his hackles were involuntarily stiff as he contemplated how long he could stay in that position without faltering. Finally du Paor was done, and he inserted the contents of the syringe which had protruded from Jessie's neck in one foul movement, making both her and her husband's hearts stop momentarily. A cold wave numbed her throat, adding an icy wave to the skin wherever the fluid travelled along her veins. She gasped for breath against the cold, and her heart beat quickened whilst its strength was lessening. Only one person present knew what was coursing her system, and from the gloating look in their eyes, it didn't seem like he was likely to reveal what it was until it pleased him. This action propelled Meowth forwards with great speed, clutching the device tightly in his paw as he charged past the ditto and into du Paor's stomach with as much force as he could muster. As the two stumbled backwards, Meowth lost his hold and accidentally dropped the explosive…

The Sparkling Seadra, 21:55 hrs…

An intriguing conversation took place in the almost vacant room between a young man named Butch and an empty plant pot tilted on its side. He wasn't aware it was a plant pot; he considered it a woman that was telling him where he could locate Cassidy, and she was doing so in a most charismatic comportment. Her hair matched her outfit perfectly, accessorised wonderfully as the shades of terracotta were absolutely identically. Her voice was lilting but retained a gravelly quality just like his was, and he felt like he'd finally met someone who understood him unlike everyone else who never attempted to scratch beneath the surface and discover his true personality. She was a delicate person; her round face structured exactly symmetrically, her eyes dark mysteries as they looked almost like holes, showing him all, including the scenery behind her. He felt embarrassed by his staring, wishing he had the right to look at someone as intricate as her without causing her discomfort. She had an earthly attitude with her thoughts fairly grounded which calmed him further, and she seemed to know what to say without any hint from his side. She told him how she knew Cassidy was safe and how he could go about finding her; he should get up and leave immediately to make sure she didn't get too far away from him.

"She loves you and needs you to be there for her. She waits at the botanical gardens at the end of Lavender Street"

"How do you know this?"

"She speaks softly to me, her voice as fragile as a single cherry blossom flower flowing in the fragrant summer breeze"

"I can't hear her, why won't she talk to me? Doesn't she love me enough to direct messages my way herself? Am I really worth nothing to her?"

"Were she not interested in talking to you, she would not talk to me first. She trusts me with her life, as she does with you. She fears you don't listen to her cries"

"Gods have I ignored her? Does she think I cheated on her, because if she does tell her it's not true, I love her alone; nobody else can come near me, not even you! Come back to me Cass…"

"Go now, she grows cold and needs your warmth if you are to see her tonight, stand her up and you might not get the chance again"

He thanked her and stretched out his hand to show his eternal gratitude, but he accidentally knocked her backwards and with a sickening crash, he broke every bone in her body. He looked at the fragmented woman and instantly paled; fear sinking into his thoughts as he contemplated the dilemma he was in. He bolted out the door and ran in the direction the woman had told him to go to, knowing his sweetheart was waiting for him. He saw people chasing him down the street, and as he carefully watched over his shoulder to watch the non-existent crowd, he knocked himself unconscious by running straight into an iron lamp post.

Du Paor struck outwards with his dagger to move the cat-type from his abdomen, rendering the feline momentarily helpless as he hit the kerbing heavily. He watched in despair as the device dropped slowly to the ground, too near it for his own comfort. He said a final prayer to save his soul from Juu-ra, the kitten of wrath, but it was needless. The metal object finally struck the floor, ringing a high pitch as it bounced off the stone flagstones harmlessly; no explosion came as he'd apparently wrongly opted for the safe leg of the camera. He noticed with a dry mouth it was difficult for him to get off the stones, his blood sticking to his coat and the thick liquid acted as glue which rooted him to the cold spot. Energy appeared to evade his grasp as he struggled to breathe, gaining oxygen in short rugged gasps from the deep puncture along his side and into his ribcage. He looked at his friends and attempted to voice his regret at his unlawful bitterness, but talking proved twice as difficult as breathing. Jessie broke into a deeper sob and looked away as soon as he'd been cut as she'd been splashed with his blood when du Paor flung him backwards whereas James nodded as a friend would and continued to watch his former partner-in-crime until his eyes glazed over.

Elora left her current position and wiped her lips dry of the salty blood contaminating them before she picked up the sticky dead feline by the scruff of his neck. She bored into his eyes with her own for a moment and then flung him a few feet behind Jessie where he landed with a dull thud. James wanted to kill her for her open nasty attitude that he'd never seen before, and he truly regretted becoming friends with her, never mind anything further. Her morbid and openly offensive manner repulsed him and he wanted to kill her almost as much as he did du Paor, his blood boiling with fury uncontrollably. His body stiffened and Matt pressed the gun harder into his prisoner's stomach, tempted to pull the trigger but at the same time not wanting to mess his new shoes irreparably. He'd learnt from past incidents that blood took forever to come out of designer white suede shoes.

A flunky wished to sigh to alleviate his boredom; he longed to be a part of the action instead of watching it unfold from the door, where he was positioned to ensure nobody attempted to enter without prior permission. His name was Drax, a pseudonym like so many other names in the business, but instead of having a name denoting his great deeds of the past, he chose it merely because he felt his actual name was nearly as boring as he was. He wished to take one of the women he escorted there, as he was a desperate nineteen year old virgin, unlikely to be chosen by any woman willingly. To tell the truth he knew nothing about what he'd do; the furthest he'd gotten was a game of spin the bottle when he was eight, and it had ended abruptly when he'd bitten the girl's lip open. Gods, he thought, I'm pathetic. He was so entwined in his own thoughts he was unable to pay attention to his surroundings, and certainly didn't hear the door behind him smash open until the police cars drove through at high acceleration. He fell crumpled to the ground, crying like a weak baby as the side of the door hit the side of his head and ripped the two half-rings out of his left eyebrow. The atmosphere became even more tense, destinies quickly being decided.

Anthony awoke with a killer headache and wondered how much he'd drunk the night before, until the harsh reality struck him in a precipitated moment. His hands were stiff and sticky from their position in the manacles, and he allowed a few tears to fall freely; he was stuck here alone, and in his opinion he couldn't look more pathetic to anyone else by this point anyway. She was right; he'd had nothing to offer her in the material sense as he was not considered rich, but in the spiritual sense he could have provided her with anything she wanted. He'd given Lindsey all of his attention, his heart and his soul, yet all she saw him as was a toy, something to alleviate her boredom until something better came along. He clenched his fists into tight balls as his anger and hurt grew, and forced them apart with strength he never knew possible. But instead of breaking what bound him to the table, he cut his skin with the effort, proving to himself that yet again he failed at what he wanted so badly to succeed at. His weakness marred his conscience yet again, and he struggled to remember the happy times he'd shared with her. Of course, these were limited as their time together had spanned a couple of days, and he'd asked her out whilst covered in a dead person's blood.

Pondering over his failures proved of little merit for the prisoner, in fact it made lying in the near-dark harder to endure in the miserable atmosphere. Suddenly the lights went out altogether, and before panic was granted sufficient time to set in, he heard the familiar _clack_ as his ex-girlfriend's high heels betrayed her impending arrival as they struck repeatedly against the stone flooring. A glimmer of futile hope appeared in his mind, with the possibility she'd come to free him, as it seemed as unpredictable a move as any of her latest offerings. He heard the soft beeping as she pressed the correct code into the sensory pad after using her swipe card for proof of authority to do it, and the mechanical strains as she eased each of the security measures on the outside of the door free to gain entrance.

A faint strand of light from the far end of the corridor basked the doorway in a warm yellow glow, silhouetting the woman and making her look as alluring and as mysterious as she often could be. She left a bowl of non-nutritious gruel beside Giovanni with a long straw, warning him not to let it fall out of his mouth as she didn't care what happened to him; starving was as good to her as anything else as there were plenty of people out there she could manipulate into her services yet. Anthony had forgotten he wasn't alone in the cell, probably because he thought she'd set it up so he could be the source of their amusement. He bitterly imagined her releasing their former boss and proceeding to record them engaging in rampant sex to play back to him when he couldn't move from the operating table. He tried to think less loudly in case her acute senses picked them up somehow—nothing was impossible when it came to her it would seem.

She walked over to the jealous male and stroked the side of his face almost lovingly, as a mother would to its newborn child rather than a woman touching her partner to express her gratitude for his solidarity in their meaningful relationship. She was still spooked by what she'd seen before the virus destroyed everything, or rather it was what she hadn't seen that worried her. Unless she came across anyone involved in the warped tale, she would have to rely on it leaking to the media to learn the truth of what had happened. She wasn't sure if it had exploded as it would have been quite loud, but on the opposite side of the town compared to where she was now, which meant it would be little more than a muffled snapping of a rattata trap to her. He flinched and gasped beneath her soft touch, feeling numbed with disbelief when she kissed his forehead as it was completely unexpected. She whispered for him to take care and asked him to keep his equally tasteless food steady by using his stomach muscles, and when she was certain it was in place she wheeled the table from the room. When in the corridor, she winced against the light at the end of the hallway and flicked on the brightest light possible for the room within to spite Giovanni before she reactivated every defence mechanism on the outside of the thick steel door.

She wheeled Anthony into a more-frequently accessed room, and upon discovering a scientist still working in there, she motioned for her to leave for a minute. She locked the table and ensured the restraints were secure before placing the straw in Anthony's mouth and moving the bowl to his chest, carefully placing something to prop his head up under his neck to make sure he didn't choke on the meal. She met with the scientist outside and informed her of the new subject she had to work on for testing purposes. The scientist adjusted her small square glasses and nodded; this was an ideal opportunity for her to see what reaction a new potion would have on a human, and she'd feared under new leadership humans for testing upon would lessen if not cease altogether. Part of her wished she knew fear—a concoction had removed it years ago for her to continue in her line of work—as it surely could not be considered a good thing that she got a subject within hours of her taking control. Lindsey walked down the hall and returned to what were now her quarters, feeling victorious and uneasy as well as the overwhelming sense of guilt purging her thoughts.

James' mother kept her unwavering hold on the gun so that it was focused on du Paor, but she was unable to shoot as he'd resumed standing behind her daughter-in-law with his body hidden from her. She could shoot the side of his head, but it would prove little other than a scalp wound for him, and a shot that wasn't fatal was an unheard of notion to her—failure was never permitted in her eyes. Hopkins knew better than to speak, no matter how much he longed to; from all his years in her service, he knew no better enemy to make. Anything which caused an imperfection on her part, no matter how inadvertently, never once went unpunished. Patience was a virtue, which he chose wisely to adopt at this stage; an assassin-like skill with a firearm was currently her talent gleaming in the spotlight. She could stay like that for hours, and if she need do that tonight to protect her son, she would do it without a moment's hesitation. Should anyone make her son's wife a sobbing wreck, the pleasure should be granted solely to her from her lengthy dislike of the concubine. She was aware of the risk of being discovered in this situation, yet for the first time in her thirty-one years she considered her social status secondary to her family.

Abandoned Warehouse, 22:15 hrs…

The special agents were forced to admit they'd made a severe miscalculation, as this incursion was completely unlike any they'd experienced before, from either branch. The person they wished to arrest was evading incarceration by hiding behind the female victim, molesting her unequivocally as he kept the revolver trained on her. Any movement would indubitably spark the slaughter of the captives as the other affiliates present also held presumably loaded armaments devoid of any safety devices activated. They had their own weapons focused on him, yet there was little they could do, as their car was still too far away from them to do anything to alter circumstances, and each civil servant used the bullet-proof doors as further protection for their bodies in their offensive stance. Sarah soundlessly requested back-up thinking she was helping the situation, which rewarded her with a cerebral admonishment from her older sister. Louise, however, felt that if more police arrived, it would incite the butchering to occur sooner and aspired her twerp of a sister would somehow advocate the gift of thinking things through. The lighting running along the ceiling-less ramparts cast an undesirable glare across each of their visors, leaving them with the options of removing them and risking instant death, or ignoring the winces they were forced to make to control their visions and pray their aim was accurate enough. Neither was an acceptable option in their line of work, and Louise hoped that the shock wouldn't kill her unborn, as a second miscarriage would tear her heart more viciously than the first time around.

Du Paor felt more than confident that things would turn out whatever way he decided as he held all of the trump cards in this unfolding game. He gained no personal sense of satisfaction from touching Jessie up other than to infuriate everyone else present—he'd molest James instead as it would anger them even more, but he couldn't do it for two reasons. One was he'd have to resign his safety from behind the woman to get to him, and the other was because he could still see the bloodied mess Elora had left as she hadn't felt generous or bothered enough to refasten his jeans. His phone rang and he decided to prove how unconcerned he was and went to answer it, noting in astonishment it was The Silver Bullet calling, and since the two workers most likely to contact him were already present. Words failed to express his bewilderment at speaking to Elora, when he could clearly see her standing at the back wall, admiring another set of manacles. His grip on Jessie had obviously lessened in his retrieval of the phone, and the gun now had its safety catch on in case he shot himself in the process, making him wonder what was going on. Whilst he asked the person on the other end of the line why they were impersonating someone in his range of vision, he presented no threat to anyone until he hung up and then the circumstances would indisputably become precariously overwrought. He failed to vent his anger though, as six razor-sharp weapons were inserted into his neck, only barely missing the vital arteries and veins.

Meowth's coat bristled in anger at the man, the same feral hatred returning to him as it had the last time he'd undergone resurrection. The ditto which had changed into Elora had healed the wounds along his side when it had picked him up, and when 'she'd' thrown him in what had appeared an inconsiderate manner to everyone else, it had in fact thrown him on top of the camouflaged ditto. His strength had not only recovered to what it was before the accident, but it had in fact returned to what it had been at the height of his youth. His eyes were narrowed slits to the point it looked like his irises were a vertical impersonation of Brock, with his abhorrence visible in their midnight-blue gleam. His claws were like a reversed French manicure; the majority of each claw was a deep crimson and the bases of them clear of colour. Matt and Elora were no longer present; the dittos had returned to their natural forms as the illusion was no longer necessary so they stood next to each other behind du Paor. Their equally vicious looks guaranteed du Paor's safety was indeed a thing of the past, with weapons the ditto posing as Elora had gathered when it had examined the room pointed at him, silently waiting the chance to kill him.

Meowth lunged again, this time effortlessly breaking Jessie's chains and he felt pity as she crumpled gracelessly to the floor, and James immediately ran to her side to comfort her and say how he wished it had never happened even though he hadn't caused it. She nodded and listened mutely to his proclamations of love, his kisses along the side of her face feeling surreal as she couldn't acknowledge the danger was over. She felt it couldn't come this simply after all the hours of suffering she'd endured, especially when she suspected sentinels hiding in shadows, waiting for the innocents to drop their guards before making their moves. Her arms were like dead weights she carried as there was no feeling in them, the blood flow still not having returning to normal yet. One of the dittos moved backwards and stepped on the device Meowth had used earlier, activating it with body warmth and a huge explosion erupted, absorbed mainly by the three pokémon. As their bodies evaporated in the intense heat, du Paor decided to risk moving in the hope he could kill someone before his impending capture came into play. He knelt and took aim at the couple before him, knowing they were easy targets at their proximity and lack of concentration in his direction. He squeezed the trigger but nothing happened—he was out of ammunition and would have to replace the clip speedily and surreptitiously to succeed. Meowth launched another attack on him, scratching his face savagely to temporarily blind him, and then his boiling rage incited him to claw at his wrists lest he found a way to shoot his friends. When he was done, he left the man struggling to get to his feet and he examined the edge of the furnace to see what remained of his associates, if anything.

James' mother noticed her target was now free from obstruction and she squeezed the trigger, knowing her aim to be perfect as the gun had not wavered once since she'd assumed that position. She noted furiously at her impatience as her bullet hit a target, but not the one she'd aimed for. James assisted Jessie in standing to escape the inferno, but then they both suddenly fell backwards as one of their weights became much heavier, a coldness already setting in their bones as they fought for their breath. James screamed out his wife's name in anguish, her blood-curdling scream haunting him every minute until the day he died.


	20. 8th April, 2001

Saturday, September 1st 2001

**DARK PASTS, HOPEFUL FUTURES: THE AFTERMATH**

Jessie awoke with hot, angry tears spilling from her eyes, another night spent yearning after the partner she used to have, who used to love her no matter what. It was exactly a year on from when she'd kissed him for the first time, now he didn't want anything to do with her, or so it transpired. She swallowed four strong sedatives without water, finding punishing her body in this manner a source of empowerment for her heartache; it was all her fault she lived alone. She drove him away by everything she ever did, including when he'd first tried to go out with her—he'd hit on her, she'd hit him. Typical, she angrily thought. All revenge seemed meaningless now, and she wondered why she'd spent so long on trying to hurt other people instead of looking after those close to her all her life. She looked at her hand, thinking how much prettier it would appear to her if she were to have the wedding and engagement rings still on it, knowing it could never be, or at least not with him as her fiancé. It had been approximately five months since she'd last clasped eyes on him, that fateful day where she'd learnt he was a bigamist on top of some of his darker past. When the trouble had disappeared, he had as well and refused to contact her, not even a single word uttered in all those minutes since then. More hot tears wound their way over the contours of her cheeks, the tablets forbidding her from making a sound. She felt like a stone narcotic; a cold unemotional creature dead to the world to look at and she needed the medication to make sure she acted like it.

She dragged herself out of bed and viewed her pathetic reflection in the dull mirror in the bathroom in her cheap flat, unable to afford any degree of comfort in her life, not that she felt she deserved it. Haunted eyes returned her glance, her once sparkling sapphire eyes now glazed-over, lack-lustre and bloodshot. Her sunken appearance made her all the more unhealthy looking, her gaunt physique horrible where once it was attractive. Her hair was limp, dark strands matted together from sweat. She'd given up on managing it like she used to a long while ago, seeing it futile as there was nobody on this planet which she bore any desire to impress, not when the man she wanted wasn't interested in the slightest. She'd always maintained she'd do anything to hold onto him, but her refusing to grasp the truth about his past had been what he'd needed, and when she'd denied him it, he denied her contact. Petty through the eyes of the outside world, but it was a deadly serious rift between them. It was her fault, it always would be, and nothing would change that. Nevertheless, she decided to call upon where he dwelt, to see if he'd reply to her one final time.

He sat against a tree, watching the people around him talk, cry or laugh…everything to show they shared a part with someone else here, not like him. He was forbidding himself to speak to his wife, knowing it would make it harder for them both, for they could never hold anything special again. His decision was harder for him, as he knew nothing could erase Jessie's memories of whatever she'd heard or seen. A sharp wind savaged the landscape but he didn't feel it. He felt nothing now; his emotions had numbed him to everything. The only thing he really needed was to hold her in his arms, the warmth of her flesh against his own, knowing it would never happen. He heard a baby starting to cry and another pang of paternal feelings washed over him, making him wish his child was still alive. Even after six months, he felt it surreal to have a daughter and yet not have one, wishing to cuddle her when she woke in the night. Alyssandra was never awake at any time though, he bitterly reminded himself, another wave of pain hitting his soul. He wasn't even two decades on this planet, and whenever something positive had come his way, it had turned around determinedly and smacked him hard on its retreat. He was exactly as he'd been when he'd been born; he cherished nothing, he possessed nothing, he knew nothing for certain. His distrust stemmed from years of him never knowing what was truth from an evil person's fiction, always the victim of trickster Fate's whims.

He saw her enter the area, walking right in front of him, looking into his eyes. He hardly recognised her; instead of a chrysalis creating a beautiful creature, her time away from him had created a bedraggled urchin. She looked twice as weary as she felt, her soul as fatigued as his, knowing that their relationship would never rekindle its passion. Not now. He looked at her thin body, her huggable body now just a bag of bones as she'd really allowed herself to become dangerously anorexic, nothing to fuel her happiness, nothing to make her feel life was worth living. She knelt before him, so she was at his eye-level, then she averted her gaze slightly, and he knew why. She choked out a harsh-sounding 'hi', her emotions overwhelming her yet the tablets refused her the act of weeping. He felt awkward around her, wanting to touch her but knowing it would bring more confusion than anything else—that was the etiquette he'd supplied himself with when he started this stage. He knew anything he'd say would betray that guideline, so he struggled to remain silent as she sat near him.

"I know you can hear me, maybe you're just pretending you can't to spare my feelings. I know you don't want to be with me, it's completely my fault you're like this now anyway. I can't get over you. We've spent too long together to separate like this. Is this what you really wanted when you did what you did?"

She buried her head into her knees, wanting to cry to vent her depression, unable to do so from both the medication stripping that option from her and her desire not to appear too weak against him, especially when he was clearly a lot stronger than she. He longed to soothe her, but to do it would be incorrect. She didn't need to suffer more than she clearly already was.

"Please talk to me, I deserve at least something from you, don't you agree? I'm made a lot of mistakes over the course of my life James, please don't punish me more. Are you still mad because I couldn't accept your past before it was too late for us, or that I lost your baby through a job I once took? Is it because I'm not desirable? I'll change, I swear I'll change. Let's swap places, see how you like being ignored like I am, and see how you love living like…"

She trailed off, feeling like the conversation made her sound like a weak, babbling idiot. He outstretched his hand to embrace her, but she didn't take it. He wasn't entirely sure if she'd seen it in the first place, he prayed she hadn't, as it would show she wasn't making him hurt more than he already was. Another burst of wind cut through her, and he noticed her necklace was still around her neck, accompanied by the rings he'd given her, knowing they still held an incredible amount of sentimental value to her. She fingered a piece of broken glass and pulled the sleeve up from her left wrist and made to insert it into the vein, when he broke his law and told her she was stronger than that, and to leave if he really made her feel that badly. She jumped and it seemed she'd forgotten she wasn't alone. She shook her head to remove the haze that fogged up her thoughts, pushing the ground firmly with her palm to gain enough leverage to get up. She removed her necklace and placed it in front of where she'd sat, saying in a half-hearted tone:

"I have these to remember you by. Maybe if you have them, it'll be easier for me to get over you. You clearly don't want me to join you, so I can't be good enough for you. Thanks for making me feel so special, James. Take care of yourself, wherever destiny may take you. You had a dark past, you promised me a bright hopeful future, but all you succeeded in giving me was a grey void. You had my heart, know that"

It pained him to watch her go, but he knew she was right. He picked the trinkets up and pocketed them, to stop any potential thieves from seeking plunder with them. He tried to follow her, but he felt queasy when he attempted to ignore the obligation to stay where he'd sat. He stopped, unable to wander any further and screamed her name loudly. She thought she'd heard something as she thought about how she'd imagined her first anniversary with James would be like, but his voice was lost in the bitter wind as she left, knowing she could not survive another bout of pain she'd endure were she to return again. The leaves blew furiously in the gust, a few of them smacking loudly against his face, or rather the photograph of his face that rested on top of his grave.

◘ Butch never regained his sanity. He became deathly afraid of anything to do with pokémon and refused to sleep in case he wasn't alone in the dark. He died in an insane asylum aged fifty-three years, without a break from his cell by choice ever since he'd entered aged eighteen years old after the police discovered him babbling on the street where he'd hit the lamp post.

◘ James' mother became the world's oldest woman, though her competition died suddenly in their sleep from what was assumed to be natural causes. She never recovered from the loss of the son spawned by her rapist and although she wasn't what could ever be deemed as friendly, her icy demeanour was now a bitter lead shield.

◘ Hopkins continued to serve his mistress, secretly admiring her but never acted upon it, seeing it as inappropriate with regards his profession and thus never knew the touch of his soul's mate.

◘ Elora was subsequently arrested and charged as a result of various allegations from customers about the company she selected. Her pub closed down and she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She lived life to the full after that, and died in a head-on collision with an eighteen-wheeler truck, aged twenty-six.

◘ Kiera developed a stomach ulcer, ignored the advice of doctors and continued to eat spicy foods, drink like a magicarp and smoked like a chimney whilst working ridiculously long shifts every night of the week. It burst and she died aged twenty-one, slowly and extremely painfully.

◘ Du Paor received a hefty sentence and spent his life in jail, with his ex-minions exacting revenge at their whim. He was found dead in his bed aged forty-six with a look of terror across his face and his hands rigid in the air. The case remains an open verdict, in spite of suspicious circumstances.

◘ Tyra was eventually discovered when her credit card ceased holding funds, and was given a small funeral where nobody attended it in spite of the story being in all of the newspapers.

◘ After the closure of The Silver Bullet, Matt joined a rock band, slept with as many of his groupies as possible and developed AIDS. He failed to enjoy the irony as he suffered a long, drawn-out illness for seven months before losing his battle.

◘ Gary became the world's greatest pokémon trainer and surpassed every record imaginable. Ash became reclusive and not much was heard of him, though a few children were told of the creepy old man that lived at the end of the road with an ancient Mr Mime and a stuffed Pikachu.

◘ Misty found the freedom she yearned and whilst not becoming overly famous, she used her victories and prize money to help cease cruelty against pokémon until her secret of eating a Togepi omelette every morning for breakfast was discovered.

◘ Brock never recovered from his revulsion of women after seeing the damage on Jessie's body. He became a monk and took a vow of celibacy, as since the incident occurred women of all ages threw themselves at him. After a homosexual assault by another monk, he became a hermit and lived on a rock in the rough ocean. He died when a wave swept him out to sea and into a Gyrados' mouth.

◘ Sasha died mysteriously a few days after James did, foul play the obvious suspect but her sister-in-law was never discovered as the perpetrator of the deed. She was seen as a disgrace to the family name and was destroyed for her past attempts at incest with her nephew, though her death was kept relatively silent.

◘ Giovanni stayed awake as he vowed until fatigue allowed him to stay awake no more a week later. He awoke in a new cell, strapped to a table upright against the wall to add more pressure to his tired body, alone in the room with the light on bar one other occupant. Lindsey had taken the liberty of having scientists awaken his mother from her coma, and she wished to vent her anger for his foolish and irreconcilable actions.

◘ Lindsey reigned as leader for many years until she became fed-up with it and passed it onto the winner of that week's lottery for a bonus, one of her tactics at keeping workers willing to work for the same pay under a new leader. She left and lived life easily in an enormous mansion which her predecessor had also 'agreed' for her to keep upon his demise, and she later married a man her own age called Daniel who knew nothing of her devious past. He later crossed her path and little is known of what happened, though their corpses were discovered with an indication they'd shot each other at the exact moment with a look of extreme anger on what was left of their faces.

◘ Nothing is known about what treatment Anthony underwent in the laboratory, though two years into Lindsey's reign a pathetic looking Spinarak took to living in the corner nearest her desk. Since she suffered from tremendous arachnophobia and didn't want her colleagues to learn this, she took time in mentally preparing herself before squashing it. She could have sworn its dying scream sounded like her name.

◘ Special Agent Pryer successfully gave birth to a girl whom she named Jade Beryl, after her two favourite stones. Her husband was forbidden from assisting her in the naming process and indeed anything other than agreeing to a divorce when his affair with his friend Andrew became apparent. She retired from her job after thirty-seven years devoting most of her hours a day to it. She became famous for her controversial contributions to society, mainly making children's programmes acceptable for the older audience, if not a little too adult at times.

◘ Her younger sister quit the workforce after the bloodshed, and became an interior designer, notably adept at turning what could be described as tiny cages into roomy palaces, with a personal spa available to ensure the clients were treated like royalty. She married her short-term boyfriend Maxfield only to discover on her honeymoon that her sister's unspoken concerns had been true, and her partner was actually Maxine.

◘ Drax, du Paor's pathetic flunky, went home that night and whimpered everything out to his friend Brian, who requested he left him alone as he didn't feel he could become more of a disappointment until that incident proved him wrong. He attempted to woo a woman one night, which ended up in him being driven to her house in her car, but halfway there she threw him out into a ditch, laughing he was so ugly he should have understood nobody in their right minds would go near him. He stayed in the ditch where even the wild creatures avoided him, and when he died of starvation, the hunting bird-types refused to consume his carcass.

◘ The dittos did not merely evaporate as suspected; instead, when their bodies reached a cooler temperature, they reformed again. Instead of three bodies, however, there was a creature where each droplet of their flesh landed. At present, there is a steadily growing army, awaiting the perfect moment to launch their attack against the humans.

◘ Meowth escaped his bargain with the pokémon, where he had to sacrifice his life for them to absorb his body and grow further in strength. Had he known of their existence he would have made good his oath, and they never sought him out as they knew his battle skills only truly existed when his rage was pushed to its extreme limits, or when he was resurrected, neither of which were practical enough for their desires. They wished for him to live out the remainder of his life in peace, as they were aware he would only survive another two months naturally anyway. He stayed with Jessie for much of that time, trying to grasp their bond of friendship again after such tragedy, until one day he left, promising to return as soon as he could. He left knowing he was reaching his last day alive, but didn't want to burden her further as she was constantly fraught as it was.

◘ Jessie found it too difficult to live without either of her former team-mates and her daughter and visited where Meowth had claimed to have buried the bell-jar. She found it and smuggled it back to Viridian City, part of her wanting to bury it beside her husband, yet she couldn't bring herself to undergo such sorrow again. Every time she thought about him another part of her soul died, but death was a long time in coming to her. She failed to attempt to overcome her dire anorexia and ended up in a clinic with social welfare's intervention. The staff ignored her desire to discharge herself, and eventually her appetite returned sufficiently to keep her alive. She was supervised constantly by a male worker who she would once have considered attractive, but she ensured the last person to kiss her was her husband and made sure he went nowhere near her in that sense. She lived for three more hard years before her insides collapsed from her anorexia's long-term abuse to them. She was buried beside her husband with the bell-jar, as had been requested in her will, but their spirits never met. Her soul involuntarily went to where Alyssandra's was in Sunset City, and she stayed there for all eternity, bonding lovingly with the tiny infant which had been torn away from her.

◘ The bullet travelled through James' left shoulder blade and embedded itself in his vena carva. The members of the police force present called for paramedic back-up, which arrived almost instantaneously to everyone's relief. He struggled for survival in the operating theatre, but a medical miscalculation ensured it was indeed a losing battle he fought as a scalpel accidentally caught with an artery and refused to cease its bleeding. He died two hours after being admitted to hospital, having remained fully conscious for most of the evening. His body refused to allow another foreign substance take control when he was administered the anaesthetic and his body denied the liquid the ability to combine with his blood. The operation was required to be carried out right away, which added panic to the doctors as well as unbelievable agony to the patient as he was awake almost the entire time, causing the irreparable mistake with the artery. He fell unconscious only mere minutes before his death, and his last request to see his wife when he knew he wasn't going to recover was rejected on the grounds it would cause trauma beyond relief to Jessie. His soul was trapped beside where he was buried for all eternity, and if he moved more than five feet away from it in any given direction, including vertical if he rested in the tree, he suffered from a vicious pulling sensation in his abdomen. After their first anniversary when she visited his grave, he never saw his wife again in any shape or form, which made his disappointment even more crushing when he noticed her funeral taking place a few feet from his own grave when he saw it as an opportunity to spend the endless state of existence together.


End file.
